#isabela x reader

[domxmarvel]

5 year celebration-I characters

[reistante]

Isabela Merced as Dina in “The Last of Us” 2x01

[katnissegf]

thinking about top service dina .ᐟ ( +18 )

✶ it’s been a very long day. you’re exhausted, so all you want to do right now is come home to your girlfriend and rest in her arms. however, she is just unable to stop begging you to let her make you feel better. and it is also impossible for you to say no to her offer.

✶ dina places you on the bed slowly, lifting your blouse until the cold air hits your breasts. she takes a long pause to stare, mesmerized, as if it were the first time she saw them. then she spreads wet kisses all over your chest, slightly sucking your sensible nipples.

✶ she just knows how to follow your instructions so well, how to make you feel good without putting any effort. it never ceases to amaze you. the heat of her body invading yours while she descends on your torso, leaving a trajectory of hickeys and bite marks on her path.

✶ the next thing you know is that her face is buried between your thighs, her tongue deep inside you. “i’m going to take care of you,” she murmures against you, feeling her hot breath in your center as she pronounces the words. “my sweet girl.”

✶ you can tell she gets pussy drunk very easily when it comes to you, but you would never complain. after all, she’s doing a really good job of making you forget about all the stress from earlier. it’s even easier to forget when she adds a couple of fingers at your entrance.

[jedi-luca]

Head Over Feet Chapter One Hello, I Love You

Summary: You didn’t know Dina before she came back to Jackson. She’s guarded, jaded, and carrying the weight of too many goodbyes. Now you can’t stop thinking about her. It’s a slow burn, and you’re patient… but will she ever let down her walls? Or will someone else reach your heart first?

Pairings: Dina x GN!Reader slowburn

warnings: spoilers if you haven’t played the game or seen the show

A/N: I’ve been obsessed with Dina from the Last of Us season 2 especially after playing the game. Those of you who may be waiting on Avengers Lane don’t worry I’m gonna come back to it I just need to get this out of my system.

Dina turned at the sound of a high pitched squeal, just in time to see a little girl darting toward the jungle gym, giggling as you chased playfully behind her.

The girl scrambled up the bars, laughing. A small boy nearby looked up and smiled shyly, curious.

“Hi! I’m Charlie. What’s your name?” she called brightly.

The boy hesitated a moment before answering. “JJ.”

You stood a few steps back, letting the kids have their moment. Your gaze drifted to a woman sitting on a nearby bench, dark hair tucked behind one ear as she closed a book in her lap. She was stunning, and instinctively, you figured she must be JJ’s mom.

You offered a friendly smile. “Looks like they’re already best friends.”

She gave a small, polite smile in return. “I’m Dina,” she said, shaking your hand but not quite meeting your eyes.

You picked up on the subtle cue maybe she wasn’t the chatty type. Respecting that, you nodded and give her space, making your way to an empty swing nearby.

From there, you watch as Charlie and JJ took turns on the slide, their laughter echoing across the playground.

“Coach Y/N! Coach Y/N!”

You turned at the familiar chorus of voices. A small pack of kids was barreling toward you, grinning from ear to ear.

“Hey, crew!” you waved, standing up.

“I’ve been practicing!” one kid beamed.

“Me too!” another chimed in, bouncing with excitement.

“That’s awesome!” you said, ruffling a few heads. “You wanna run some drills?”

“Can we play a game?” one asked eagerly.

You glanced back toward the jungle gym. Charlie was still climbing, cheeks pink from the sun and play.

“Charlie!” you called. She paused and looked your way. “I’m heading to the court, okay? I’ll be right there.”

She gave you a thumbs-up and went back to sliding.

“Alright, team let’s move out!”

The kids erupted into cheers, scattering toward the nearby court and dividing themselves into teams like seasoned pros.

Back on the bench, Dina looked up from her book again, her attention drawn by the laughter and the thump of sneakers on pavement. She watched as you gently lifted each child to help them dunk the ball, your smile wide and your energy endless.

“Ooooh! Y/N! Y/N!” Charlie’s voice rang out again.

You turned to see her waving excitedly. She ran over to Dina, who raised an eyebrow as the girl tapped her knee.

“Hi,” Dina greeted, more relaxed this time.

“Hi! I’m Charlie! Can JJ come play basketball with me?” she asked, bouncing on her toes.

Dina hesitated, unsure.

“Pleeeeeeaaaaase?” both kids chimed, hands clasped in dramatic pleading.

You walked up just in time to catch the moment.

“I’ll keep an eye on him,” you said gently.

Dina looked from you to the kids. Something in her softened. “Okay,” she said, finally smiling.

Charlie and JJ whooped in celebration and took off toward the court, with you jogging behind them.

Dina watched as you joined the game, her smile lingering a little longer this time. She watches as you patiently teach JJ how to dribble the ball, his tiny hands clumsily mimicking yours.

He bursts into giggles when you lift him high into the air, letting him dunk the ball with a triumphant slam.

A familiar ache stirs in Dina’s chest, an ache that twists into something bittersweet. But watching the way you are with her son, she can’t bring herself to look away.

The sun dips low on the horizon, casting a golden hue over the court as Dina rises to her feet and calls out,

“JJ, come on buddy, it’s time to go.”

“No!” the toddler shouts gleefully, darting off to play with the older kids.

Dina closes her eyes and exhales, shoulders heavy with exhaustion.

“I’m guessing that’s his new favorite word?” you ask with a laugh.

“Pretty much the only one he wants to use,” she mutters, shaking her head.

“Hang on a sec.” You jog toward the center of the court and catch the ball mid-bounce.

“Awww, come on coach!” one of the kids groans.

“The sun’s setting, let’s call it here. We’ll get more practice tomorrow.”

The kids groan in protest.

One of them smirks and elbows his friend. “Alright, we’ll stop—but only if you make it from half-court!”

You grin, eyes twinkling. “Deal, Jack.”

With a swift pivot and smooth release, you send the ball soaring.

Dina watches as the court erupts.

“OHHHHHHH!” the kids shout, clapping and jumping.

“Alright, off the court! Head home! I’ll see you all tomorrow!”

JJ giggles as the kids scramble away, racing each other toward the street.

“Nice shot,” Dina says, lifting JJ into her arms.

“Thanks.” You flash her a smile.

“Thanks for watching him,” she adds, her voice softer now.

“Anytime.”

“Let’s go Pony!” Charlie calls, clambering up your back.

You playfully gasp as her little arms swat at your throat. “Ah! She’s trying to take me out!” You cough as she settles on your back. “It was nice meeting you, Dina. You too, little man.” You offer JJ a fist bump, and he giggles as his tiny fist taps yours.

“It was nice meeting you too,” Dina says, her smile warm as JJ hides shyly in the crook of her neck.

“Bye JJ! Bye JJ’s mom!” Charlie waves enthusiastically.

“Bye bye!” JJ giggles.

🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄

“Hey, Maria,” you say with a grin as you walk into the office.

“Hi, Y/N.”

You settle at your desk and get to work. A few minutes pass in silence before you speak again.

“Maria?”

“Hm?”

“What’s Dina’s deal?”

Maria glances up, one brow raised. A small smirk tugs at the corner of her mouth.

“Why?”

“I met her and her son yesterday at the park,” you say casually.

“Did you now.” Maria’s smirk widens.

“I’ve never seen her before, but I remember some of the guys saying she used to live here. Left for about a year, then came back?”

Maria sighs and sets her pen down.

“Dina was with my niece, Ellie. About a year and a half ago, Joel, Ellie’….dad was murdered by raiders. Right in front of her.”

You blink, caught off guard.

“Jesus.”

“Yeah. Ellie and Dina wanted revenge. They left one night without saying a word. My ex-husband—”

“Tommy.” You nod, remembering.

“Mmhmm. He went after them with their friend Jesse. But they didn’t realize how big the raider group actually was. They came back empty-handed, PTSD, and Joel’s killer was still out there.”

She pauses, gathering her thoughts.

“Ellie and Dina decided to leave and start fresh somewhere. But Tommy couldn’t let it go. He got obsessed. That… was part of why we split up. According to Dina, Ellie wasn’t doing well mentally. One night, she just left. Went after that last raider. Dina came back to Jackson with JJ.”

“Ellie just left her and JJ?” you ask, your expression tightening.

“Yeah.” Maria sighs, voice softer now.

“What about JJ’s dad?”

“Jesse. He didn’t make it back.”

You sit back, stunned. “Shit.”

“I know. He was a good kid.”

“I’m sorry you went through all that.”

“It’s life,” she says with a shrug, then picks her pen back up.

The room falls quiet again until the door creaks open. Dina steps inside, looking a little frazzled.

“Hey, Maria.” She looks your way. “Hey—”

“Y/N,” you offer with a smile.

“Right. Yeah, of course I knew that.”

Maria tilts her head. “What’s wrong, Dina?”

“Sooo… JJ may or may not have clogged both the toilet and the kitchen sink. With toys. Do you have someone who can help?”

“I got you,” you laugh, standing.

“Oh thank God,” Dina says with a sheepish gulp.

Maria watches the two of you with quiet amusement.

“Lead the way, boss,” you grin.

You walk in step following her lead to her house when she speaks up.

“I didn’t forget your name, by the way.”

“Sure you didn’t,” you tease.

“I swear I didn’t! Just didn’t expect to see you again so soon.” She laughs. “Y/N… and your daughter’s name is Charlie, right?”

“Charlie’s actually my niece.” You flash a quick smile.

“Oh. Do you have family out here?”

You shake your head. “No. It’s just us.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. How long have you been in Jackson?” Dina asks.

“Uh, probably about a year now.”

You were both down the main road when you both ran into one of the mothers Natalie. You coach her son Jack.

“Hey coach.” Natalie smiled sweetly.

“Hi, Natalie, again you can just call me Y/N.” You grin.

“Right sounds good Y/N, what are you two doing?” Natalie eyes Dina.

“Plumbing issue.” You shrugged.

“You know I’ve been having trouble with some of the windows maybe you can come by and help me grease them?”

“Sure.” You nod with an oblivious smile. It took Dina a lot to not just roll her eyes at the blanant innuendo Natalie threw your way.

”I’ll see you around.” Natalie smirks before continuing on her way.

“Bye.” Dina huffs with a roll of her eyes. “Come on I’m just right around the corner.”

Dina lets you in her house. “Thanks Nancy for watching him for a few.”

“Oh of course you know I love that sweet boy!” Nancy waved her off as she watched you begin to lay under the kitchen sink. “They’re cute!” Nancy whispered gesturing to you.

Dina chuckled awkwardly not missing the smirk on your lips.

“So what brought you here?”

You hesitate.

“Sorry,” she adds quickly. “That was probably a loaded question.”

“No, it’s fine.”

You take a breath.

“My dad was a marine. Big-time hunter. Doomsday prepper, too. When the outbreak happened, he picked me up from school, got my brother and his wife, and we headed to a cabin he’d set up years before. My mom thought he was overreacting. Said it was just another pandemic.”

You glance down.

“Later that day, we heard on the radio: they’d bombed the city.”

Dina goes quiet.

“He always had a line to Jackson. Told us how to get here if everything went to hell. Raiders hit hard. We held them off for a while… but not long enough.”

You pause as you work under the sink.

“Try the faucet now.”

Dina turns it on. The water runs smooth.

You hold up a little toy soldier. “Here’s your culprit.”

She sighs, glancing at JJ. “Yup. That tracks.”

JJ giggles from the living room, chewing on a snack.

“Where’s the toilet?”

Dina leads you down the hall.

“I managed to get the water out already.”

“Good thinking,” you say, kneeling to work.

After a moment, Dina speaks quietly.

“Did your family make it out with you?”

You pause.

”…No. My brother and his wife died during the attack. My parents were wounded. We took out the rest of the raiders, but… they didn’t make it far. A bloater showed up. They told me to run. I grabbed Charlie and didn’t look back.”

“God, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.”

You sit back, wiping sweat from your brow. “Don’t be sorry. It’s done. Charlie and I made it. That’s what matters.”

Dina swallows hard. “She’s lucky to have you.”

You glance at her.

“Honestly? Feels like I’m the lucky one.”

Dina gives a soft nod.

“What about you?” you ask gently. “What’s your story?”

“It’s a long one.”

“I’ve got time.”

She looks at you, a little amused.

“I’m sure you’ve heard what happened to Joel.”

“A little. People talk.”

She sighs her chestnut eyes dimming a little more. “I left partly because of that. But also… I just wanted a farm on a hill. And I had it, for a while.”

“But?”

“But… I didn’t wanna be alone out there. Not with JJ. Everything changes when you have a kid.”

You nod, twisting the final bolt into place.

“Alright. Try it now.”

She flushes the toilet. It works.

You hold up another toy. “And there’s our second victim.”

“Let’s just toss that one,” she grimaces.

You both laugh.

After washing your hands, Dina turns to you.

“Thank you. Really.”

“Of course.”

“It’s lunch time. I was gonna make something. Want to join us? Call it a proper thank you.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“I want to. Plus, JJ won’t stop dribbling that bouncy ball you gave him.” She points to her son, now enthusiastically bouncing it into a toy bin.

You chuckle. “Alright. Lunch sounds nice.”

Dina walks into the kitchen and starts pulling ingredients from a cabinet.

“Can I help?” you offer with a grin.

“Yeah, actually…”

The kitchen smelled faintly of herbs and something sweet as Dina set a pot on the stove.

“You can chop those,” she said, nodding toward a bundle of carrots and a knife on the counter.

“Yes, chef,” you joked, rolling up your sleeves.

Dina cracked a small smile but didn’t say anything. You started chopping. The silence was comfortable…kind of. It wasn’t awkward, just full of things neither of you seemed ready to say out loud.

From the living room, JJ babbled to himself, tiny plastic blocks clacking together as he played. Occasionally he’d shout a sound “Yes!” or “No!” like he was giving orders to imaginary soldiers.

You glance over. “He’s got leadership potential.”

“He gets it from his father. He thinks he runs the place.” Dina’s voice was warm, but a little tired around the edges.

“He kind of does.”

That earned you a real laugh. It was soft and sudden, like it caught her off guard. You filed her laugh away in your mind.

Lunch was simple stew and bread, the kind of meal that fills you up just enough. JJ sat in his booster seat, getting more of the food on his cheeks than in his mouth.

“You like it, little man?” you asked.

JJ gave a crooked grin, slamming his spoon on the tray. “No!”

“He likes saying that even when it’s not true,” Dina said, sipping her water. “He just learned the word.”

“Well, it’s an important one.”

He dropped the spoon and flung a piece of carrot. It hit your shoulder.

“And we’re throwing things now,” you muttered with a grin.

Dina groaned. “JJ…”

“It’s fine,” you said, brushing it off. “I’ve seen worse. I’ve been worse.”

“You a handful growing up?”

“Me? No. Charlie though… she was a menace. Charlie’s dad was just as bad growing up.”

Dina’s face shifted slightly at the mention of your family. You could see it in the way her eyes lowered not pity exactly, but something close to it.

After lunch, you helped clear the dishes. Dina stood at the sink, rinsing while you dried. JJ wandered off toward the living room, humming to himself.

“Thanks again,” Dina said, quietly. “For today. The plumbing stuff, and…”

“The stew was worth it,” you said with a small smile.

She smirked, but her eyes didn’t quite match it. After a second, she leaned against the counter.

“You know, I’m not really good with people anymore.”

“It’s the apocalypse. Who is?”

She let out a dry breath of a laugh, and looked down at her hands.

“I mean it,” she added. “I’ve been on my own for a long time. Even when I wasn’t technically alone.”

You didn’t answer right away. You didn’t want to press her. But she kept going.

“I’m not looking for anything serious. Not right now. I can’t—”

“You don’t have to explain.”

She looked up at you. Really looked.

“I’m just… tired. Some days it’s easier not to feel anything at all.”

You nodded. You knew exactly what she meant.

There was a long pause. The sound of JJ babbling in the next room was the only thing anchoring the moment.

Then Dina spoke, voice quiet.

“But I still miss being touched.”

You watched her, unsure what to say. This wasn’t a flirtation. It wasn’t a proposition. It was a confession raw and open.

“I get it,” you said softly.

“I’m not offering anything,” she added quickly, looking away. “I just… I wanted you to know where I’m at. In case this starts feeling like something else to you.”

You stood still for a moment. Then nodded.

“Message received.”

She gave you a grateful kind of smile. Not warm, but honest.

You helped wash JJ’s face after lunch. He squealed and kicked his feet as you gently wiped stew off his cheeks.

“You’re a mess, kid.”

“Bahhh!” he yelled in defiance, then giggled.

You looked at Dina.

“He’s good. Happy.”

“Some days.” She shrugged. “Other days he wakes up crying for someone he won’t even remember.”

You felt a sharp ache in your chest at that.

“Same with Charlie,” you said. “Some nights she asks where her mom is. I tell her the truth. But she keeps asking.”

“Maybe one day she won’t.”

“Maybe.”

There was a beat of silence. JJ climbed down from his chair, crawling into Dina’s lap and curling up there, thumb in his mouth.

“I should let you rest,” you said quietly, grabbing your jacket.

Dina nodded but didn’t get up. “Thank you again,” she said.

“Any time.”

You walked to the door and paused, hand on the knob. Turned back.

“If you ever need help again with JJ, the house, whatever… I’m around.”

She didn’t respond right away, but you saw it in her eyes.

“Okay,” she said. “Good to know.”

You stepped out into the afternoon sun, the door closing softly behind you.

The wind picked up, rustling the leaves. You pulled your jacket tighter around you and started walking.

It wasn’t much.

But it was something.

Next Chapter

[thelastofme-l]

Batmans and Robins

Jesse TLOU x F!READER

Warnings: pregnancy, contractions, active labor, cursing, mentions of blood, baby daddy!jesse, mentions of oral (female receiving)

Summary: Timing is everything...especially when you're pregnant in the apocalypse.

A/n: Ya'll I'm ovulating and needed baby daddy!Jesse like water. I'm just gonna keep writing and pretend that the next week's episode isn't actually happening...haha... :(

Word count: 8,064 

Something woke you up.

You let out a huff, feeling extremely frustrated that, for what seemed like the millionth night in a row, you weren't able to stay asleep. You turn your head, glancing at the clock on the nightstand.

2:47am

The cool night air blew through the open window, billowing the curtains. The moonlight provided the only light in the dark room, bathing the empty bassinet just underneath the window in a white glow.

As if on queue, you felt a sharp kick under your rib and winced, moving your hand to the spot and rubbing gently. You were a couple weeks shy of 9 months and completely fed up with being pregnant.

To be fair, you had been fed up since your first trimester when you were vomiting up everything you ate and constantly nauseous.

Jesse waited on you, hand and foot, when he wasn't busy with patrols or the council.

Right after you'd found out you were pregnant, he had become the youngest member of the council and Tommy's right-hand man. It came with a lot of responsibilities and struggles, but he stuck around when you threatened his life and for the rough couple of weeks when the mere sight of him sent you into a rage.

You would scream at him and then cry hysterically when the fog would clear, and you realized just how mean you were being.

Of course, he didn't hold it against you, assuring you it was all normal. The emotional outbursts came with the territory, besides he was far too busy being obsessed with the idea of you carrying his baby to let anything bother him.

He'd been reading the books that Maria had given you, including a book called 'What To Expect When You're Expecting'. Anything he couldn't find in the books, would be answered by Tommy, the man he went to for all of life's questions.

You knew he was talking Tommy's ear off any chance he got. A handful of times you'd find them sat on your porch, Jesse with a list of questions and Tommy with a beer, trying his best to answer. It helped that Ben was only 5 years old, so all the memories of Maria throwing him out for breathing too close or her strange cravings were still fresh in his mind.

By your second trimester, the nausea had subsided, and you felt the glow that everyone talked about. You had your energy back, for the most part, and was able to return to your duties in the community, as much as Jesse would allow.

The guy had spies all over town and the second you attempted something like lifting a box or guiding a horse into a stall, you were stopped. You thought it was cute how much he cared.

At town parties he would dote on you, finding any excuse to touch your ever-growing bump.

At home he would give you massages or rub your feet, which always turned into something more. He opted for pleasuring you whenever he got the chance, having read that orgasms throughout the pregnancy could lessen the pain of childbirth. You weren't sure if it was true, but you weren't going to stop him.

Now nearing the end of your pregnancy, whatever comfort or sex drive you had, was completely gone. Your belly was protruding so far that you could barely see your feet, which were swollen and painful to walk on. Your whole body seemed to ache more and more each day making it damn near impossible to sleep.

The baby was running out of room inside you, and you were running out of patience.

You sighed, shifting slowly in bed, careful to not wake Jesse who was snoring quietly beside you. He'd become quite a light sleeper over the course of the last couple of months, always worried you might need something in the middle of the night.

When you finally managed to sit up against the headboard you pushed the messy hair off your face and reached for the glass of water on the nightstand. It was room temperature now, but still eased your dry throat.

Just as you set the glass back down, there was a gentle touch on your arm, followed by a deep, gravelly voice, "Are you okay baby?"

With the moonlight shining through you could see that he was propped up on his elbow, blinking at you. He'd had a long day of riding with Tommy; with the warm season coming there was more sightings of infected in the area.

"I'm okay," You whispered, moving your hand back to your belly as you felt a strange sensation in place of the baby's kicks, "Go back to sleep"

Intuitive as ever his hand followed, resting just below yours as his thumb rubbed soothingly across the fabric of the shirt that covered the large bump, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," You sighed, watching him yawn and feeling guilty for stirring him awake. "I'm just feeling some of tightness right here"

"Contractions?" He asked, voice cracking as he shifted slightly under the blanket, ready to bolt out of bed. He'd been nervous about the thought of you going into labor since the moment you told him you were pregnant.

"No—Well I don't think so," You replied, as the feeling began to dissipate. It's not like you had experience with it, but judging off what Maria had told you, that wasn't what a contraction would feel like, "It was just weird"

He listened intently, chewing on the inside of his cheek. After a moment he nodded, rubbing at his eyes, "Maybe it was braxton hicks, sort of like practice contractions to prepare you for labor"

"You've been spending way too much time reading those damn books," You teased, feeling his hand run along your thigh under the blanket, leaving a trail of goosebumps. You leaned over carefully, catching his expression before pressing your lips against his in a quick gentle kiss, "It doesn't matter, it's gone now"

Just was you were pulling away, he was leaning back in, chasing your lips. When he caught them again, he moved his slow against yours, savoring the taste of you in his tired state. You kissed him back, enjoying the way his tongue slipped into your mouth as he moved closer to you. You felt his hand slide to your inner thigh just as you pulled back, breaking the kiss again. 

He made a sound deep in his throat that made you wish you weren't pregnant and had the energy to go all night with him. But instead you leaned over and whispered, "I'm going to get a snack"

Jesse moved to sit up then, more awake despite the yawn that escaped his lips, "I'll go with you"

"Jesse," You laughed, pressing your hand to his bare chest and pushing him back into the pillows, "You need to sleep, you have patrol in a couple hours"

He sighed, glancing at the clock on the side table, peering at you through heavy eyelids. It wouldn't be the first night that you snuck out of bed and hung out in the kitchen, eating anything you could get your hands on.

"You'll wake me if something happens?"

Your bare feet were already coming in contact with the cold wood floors before you hummed a response to him, softly closing the door behind you as you waddled out of the room.

The trek downstairs was proving to be quite difficult as you felt another tightening sensation, this time on the other side of your belly. By the time you made it to the bottom step it was gone again and all you could think about was how hungry you were.

You turned on the stove light, learning over the months that it provided just enough light for late night snacking.

You settled on a box of cookies that Dina had dropped off a couple days prior. She knew that the pregnancy had given you an extreme sweet tooth and proclaimed herself as your cookie dealer.

You took a bite, closing your eyes dramatically as the sweetness danced over your tastebuds. If Maria were standing in the room with you, she would have laughed at the sight. She'd been telling you about old wives tales over the last few months and claimed you would be having a girl. Craving sweets was one of the big indicators along with the fact that you were carrying high, but you would only roll your eyes at her.

You didn't have a preference. All you really hoped for was a fast delivery and a healthy baby. Jesse felt the same, of course, but you could tell he was partial to a girl.

You leaned against the counter as you took another bite, looking across the room to the window. It was still dark, but the moon was providing just as much light as it was through the upstairs window.

As you reached for another cookie in the dimly lit kitchen, you heard a creak on the old floorboard behind you. Spinning around to find Jesse entering the room as he pulled a dark shirt over his head.

"-Fuck, Jesse, didn't anyone ever tell you not to sneak up on a pregnant woman"

"Sorry," His voice was still thick and scratchy from sleep as he moved across the kitchen pulling the shirt over his toned stomach, "I don't like sleeping alone"

You smiled to yourself remembering all the late nights that Jesse would be on watch when the two of you had just begun dating. You would toss and turn for hours before deciding to climb up on the gates to be with him.

"You got another long day ahead of you," You scolded, through a mouthful of cookie, "You should really go to sleep"

He ignored you, moving to stand behind you and snake his arms around your waist. His hands spread across the bottom of your belly, where he carefully applied pressure upward, lifting it.

You melted against him immediately, leaning back against his chest. The position took some of the weight and strain off of your back and abdomen as he literally held your belly for you. It was something he did often after reading that the simple gesture could alleviate some of the discomfort you were feeling.

"I love when you do this" You mumbled, swallowing the last bite of your cookie.

He hummed against your neck, pressing a soft kiss to the skin there.

"What if you did this all day?" You joked as your eyes fluttered close, feeling your muscles relax.

His chest vibrated against your back when he let out a low laugh, "It's only been a couple minutes, and I can already feel it in my back"

"You better be glad you don't have to carry this thing around 24/7," You giggled, as you felt him press another kiss to the side of your neck, "Everything hurts all the time"

"I'm sorry baby" He cooed in your ear, making your knees go weak. It never failed to surprise how much you craved him, even as pregnant as you were. "You're almost there"

"I'm lookin' forward to not being pregnant anymore," You hummed, leaning your head back to rest on his shoulder as he swayed your bodies slowly, the motion doing wonders for your hips, "Can you lift higher?"

"I'll miss it," He spoke quietly against your ear as he repositioned his hands, doing as you asked, "You look so sexy pregnant"

You had to roll your eyes even as the blush crept over your cheeks. He was never shy about his attraction to you, especially ever since you'd gotten pregnant with his baby.

You felt a sudden movement under his hands, a flutter of what felt like an arm moving, "Did you feel that?"

He nodded, "Baby is really moving tonight huh?"

"That reminds me," You hummed, closing your eyes again enjoying the moment as he pressed kisses under your ear, "We should really figure out a name"

"Jesse Jr." He responds without hesitation, suppressing his laugh against your neck, "JJ for short, works for boy or girl"

You smack at his arm. The conversation of names had come up multiple times throughout your pregnancy and Jesse wasn't much help, "I'm being serious"

"You always are," Jesse mumbled, now burying his face into the crook of your neck, "I'm not good at names"

You giggled, squirming against him as he nibbled at your skin, "How about—fuck"

A sharp pain erupted from the bottom of your stomach where Jesse's big hands were still holding you. It shocked you, causing you to jerk away from him and clutch his hand on the spot.

"What is it?" He rushed, loosening his hold on and moving in front of you in a flash, "Talk to me baby"

"Shit" You groaned again, squeezing your eyes shut as another wave hit you. "I-I don't know, I think something's wrong"

"We need to get you to the doctor," He said quickly, looking around like a lost child before gathering his bearings, "Shoes, we need shoes"

The panic hit you as he left you alone in the room. There's no way this was normal, you were still weeks away from your estimated due date. You moved to support yourself against the counter but stopped short at the sound that made your blood run cold.

In the quiet of the night, you heard the all too familiar ringing of bells. One after the other, echoing through the town.

Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding.

Four bells.

Four bells meant infected.

"Jesse" You shouted, voice shaking as you stumbled your way to the door, fighting the aching pain as best as you could. The house was still dark, but you could see the outline of his back as he froze, hearing the same bells that you had.

When he heard you hiss out in pain behind him, he spun around seeing you leaned against the wall as another wave of tightening came. He snapped out of it, pulling his other boot on before rushing to your side and dropping to his knees.

His hands were moving fast and shaking slightly as he lifted your foot and placed it in the slip-on shoes you'd managed to wear for the duration of your pregnancy, "I swear to god if this is another drill, I'll kill Tommy"

Bang.

A shot sounded over the repeating bells and you both turned towards the window just in time to see a sudden burst of a red light against the dark sky.

Flare gun.

"Definitely not a drill" You said through gritted teeth as he stood. Tommy would never waste flares on a drill, not with all the sightings in the area.

"-Fuck" Jesse suddenly yelled, heading for the hall closet where he kept his gun.

You opened the door, watching as your neighbors sprinted towards town. In the distance you could hear yelling over the bells, presumably from the men who were stationed on the walls.

"We have to go," Jesse was next to you in an instant with his gun strap hanging off his shoulder, putting his hand against your back and holding your arm as he helped you down the porch steps and into the street.

The cool night air hit you in the face as you tried to walk as fast as you could, which wasn't fast enough. The plan that Tommy had drilled into each member of the communities heads was playing through your mind:

Young ones and old ones get underground, basements or cellars and shelter in place until told it's safe to come out. Everyone else go up, rooftops and 2nd stories with guns. If there is a breach, stay off the main roads.

"You need to find Tommy" You managed, out of breath and fully halting your steps when another intense pain sliced through your stomach. You would've dropped to the ground if Jesse hadn't been supporting you.

"Not until I get you somewhere safe" He had to shout so you would hear him over the chaos and the bells getting louder as you entered the town center.

"Jesse—" You gripped his bicep, nails digging in as you attempted to manage the pain you were feeling, "You're his 2nd you should—"

"I'm not leaving you out here" He cut you off, suddenly pulling your arm across his back so he could support your weight better and get you moving again.

Your head was spinning by the time you were both standing in the middle of town, the gates were being barricaded, and everyone was rushing around you. Jesse had loosened his hold you, turning in all directions trying to come up with a plan for you. You would need a doctor in whatever shelter you were in.

Just as he moved to hold you up against him again, you were crying out and holding your stomach with both hands. There was a weird sensation between your legs and your thighs suddenly felt wet.

You reached your hand below the long shirt you wore and immediately felt the liquid that was dripping from your underwear.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

"Uh— my water just broke"

When you raised your wet hand up to show him, he could see how badly you were shaking. "It's okay baby—Listen to me," He caught your face between his big hands forcing you to look at him but you couldn't focus, on the verge of a panic attack, "We need to get you off the street, okay?"

You nodded, even though you could barely hear what he was saying over the heartbeat pounding in your ears. All you saw was the color draining from his face and the way his eyebrows were pinched together. He disappeared from your field vision for a second before you felt yourself being lifted up off the ground.

He took off running once you were secure in his arms, heading away from the gates. The jostling only making what you now knew to be contractions worse. You must've cried out again because Jesse was pressing his cheek to your forehead, holding you high and tight against him muttering, "I know, I know"

You heard Tommy before you saw him. He was yelling and panicked, moving across the street and pointing to the gates.

Jesse ran straight for him. Before he could say anything, Tommy was shouting at him, "Jesse, where the hell you been? I need you with me now!"

"The baby is coming" Jesse pleaded, looking to Tommy who had become somewhat of a father figure to him over the years, "I don't know what to do— where's the doctor?"

Tommy looked at you then, as if being snapped back to reality. Wrapped up in Jesse arms with tears running down your cheeks. He watched as your face twisted and you winced at another contraction, clutching your stomach. Then all at once he locked in, "Follow me, Maria took Ben to the cellar under the restaurant, she can help"

Suddenly, you were being jostled in Jesse arms again as he followed after Tommy. Past his head you could see the twinkling stars scattered all across the dark sky and the full moon that hung, shining down and lighting up the streets.

"How many infected?" Jesse rushed out, keeping up with Tommy as best as he could as they turned the corner.

"Too many"

Tommy's words hung in the air, amidst the chaos and yelling. You felt Jesse's fingers curl against you tighter.

Another contraction came and you balled the front of his shirt up in a fist, as you counted through it, just like Maria had taught you. He was breathing hard as they turned the final corner to the restaurant, "Just breathe through it, okay baby, just like we practiced"

You would've laughed if you hadn't been grinding your teeth together, pretty sure whatever practice you'd done would be useless at this point.

A horde of infected attacking the town was not exactly in your birth plan.

Before Tommy burst through the doors of the restaurant he was already screaming for Maria, who appeared at the doorway of the cellar toward the back of the building. She was ushering in the kids and elderly down to the cellar when her head snapped in the direction of her husband.

"Can you help?" Jesse asked, voice breaking as he approached her with you still gripping onto his shirt.

She didn't ask questions, only moved to the side so Jesse could enter. He moved down the steps carefully, clutching you tight to him. You could hear his heart beating in loud thumps against his chest.

The cellar was cold and damp, filled with people and crying children. Maria guided him as he lowered you to the ground, onto a mat that she had rolled out only seconds prior. You grunted in pain and the moment you left his grasp you were reaching out for his hand, squeezing it tightly as he knelt beside you.

"How far apart are the contractions?" She was talking to you now, coming to her knees at your feet.

"5 minutes" You say at the same time you feel Jesse's lips against the skin of your hand, echoing your words. You weren't sure how he had managed to count the contractions with you as all the chaos ensued around him, but it made you smile despite the pain in your abdomen.

Maria nodded, curtly as she moved your knees apart, "I'm going to take a look"

You were thankful that you'd only been wearing one of Jesse's shirts and underwear on this night, thinking of how much effort it would take to remove pajama pants in your current state. Her hands were freezing as she moved your soaked underwear down your trembling legs.

"This isn't what I had in mind—" You attempted to make a joke but your voice cracked, exposing just how scared you were.

Jesse brought his other hand down over your forehead that was slick with sweat and pushed your hair back.

"I know," He leaned down to press his lips against your skin, "It's gonna be okay, just breathe"

"This baby is coming" Maria spoke quickly, moving to kneel beside Jesse. "It won't be long now"

"What about the doctor?" You asked, eyes pinching shut as another contraction hits you. You cry out, digging your nails into Jesse's hand as he tries to comfort you through it.

"This baby isn't gonna wait for a doctor," Maria sighed, looking to Jesse, "I can deliver it but if there's any complications I don't know—"

"—We trust you" You breathed, opening your eyes and looking at the two of them at your side, "I trust you, Maria, please just help me"

It was all the confirmation she needed as she stood, instructing some of the women behind her on what she needed to assist you with this birth.

But you couldn't hear her, too distracted by the way Tommy was screaming for Jesse at the top of the stairs, "We need to go now, that horde is only a couple clicks out"

"I'm not leaving her" Jesse screamed back, running a hand over his face. The cellar became quiet aside from your heavy breathing and the sound of stairs creaking as more children filed in. Everyone knew Jesse was Tommy's right hand man, he'd earned the position after years of proving himself. To see them now, screaming at each other was shocking.

"Son, listen to me," Tommy must've moved down the stairs because he was louder now, "I know you want to be here but you can't help her"

Jesse had his full attention on you, as if he couldn't hear a thing Tommy was saying. But you could.

"He's right," Maria was back, moving beside Jesse and putting a rolled up blanket under your head as a sort of pillow, "You can do more out there"

He still didn't budge, only staring at you with his hand holding yours tight as his other moved up and down your arm, an attempt at calming you.

"Jesse, if those fuckers get in here we are all as good as dead," Tommy shouted, turning to head back up the stairs, "—including her and the baby"

He flinched at the words. His fingertips halting on your arm. The sounds of yelling and bells floating down the steps and echoing off the walls as Tommy ran out of the restaurant.

"Jesse" You whined, attempting to sit yourself up, only to be ushered back down by Maria.

"I'm staying right here," He moved his hands to your cheeks, wiping at your tears and speaking slow and clear to you, "I want to stay with you"

Maria had disappeared again, muttering about needing water and giving you some sliver of privacy in the over capacitated room.

"I'm scared and I want you to stay with me," You blurted out, feeling fresh tears slide past your red cheeks and collect on his fingers. You placed your hand on top of his as you winced, "—But I need you to go"

He shook his head incessantly, and you felt his thumb moving on your skin.

"Tommy's right—," You croaked, feeling your heart ache, "If you want to protect us, this baby, then you need to fight"

You moved your head slightly to get a grip on yourself, Jesse would never believe you if you kept crying the way that you were. You needed to be strong, to show him that you didn't need him; even if you did.

"There's no point in any of this if we all end up dead, right?" You attempt a light hearted laugh but your nerves have you choking back more tears instead.

He suddenly shifts on his knees moving in to press a kiss to your lips. It's desperate and feverish. As passionate as it could be in the moment, being in active labor. Your hand cards through his hair and you make a sound against his lips when you feel another shooting pain start.

"You've got a lot to fight for" You managed a smile, moving his hand to your stomach when he pulled away. "We'll be okay"

"I love you" He mutters, pressing another kiss to your lips and then again to your forehead.

"Don't die"

Jesse gave you a tight lipped smile as he stood up fully. He adjusted his gun strap on his shoulder, "I'll be back"

"She's in good hands," Maria was back, moving to your side again, nudging Jesse away carefully, "Go now Jesse"

He disappeared in a blink of an eye. You could hear him running up the stairs and the cellar door shutting behind him. The sound of the lock deafening.

"Okay sweetie, are you ready for this?"

•

In a matter of minutes, the town of Jackson was at war. From the cellar you could hear the muffled gun fire and yelling. You tried to focus as Maria checked you again, "It's almost time to start pushing"

The sound of firing was not helping your nerves especially knowing that Jesse was out there in the middle of it. Luckily, you had quite the distraction.

An older woman, Karen, was wiping your forehead with a damp cloth, trying to keep the fever that had developed away. On either side of your legs were two women who had recently given birth, holding your legs as you trembled.

"Maria I don't think I can do this" You cried, already feel exhausted despite not actively pushing.

"You can" She encouraged, gently moving your legs up so your knees were bent getting you in the right position, "You're already doing so good"

You squeezed your eyes shut, becoming ultra aware of the concrete floor and the pain spreading through your lower back. Any effort of grounding yourself ended the second Jesse went out the cellar door.

"Just remember to breathe—" She said, her voice soft, against the sudden sound of an explosion.

"What was what?" You say body lurching at the sound, but the women on either side of you, held you in place.

"Look at me," Maria spoke again, catching your attention, "Let's just focus on you and the baby right now okay?"

You nodded, propping yourself up on your elbows and gritting your teeth hard as another surge hit.

"I want you to listen to your body, it's gonna tell you when to push okay? We are going to let this happen naturally"

"This doesn't feel very natural" You groaned, throwing your head back.

"It's the most natural thing in the world" One of the women near your head cooed, giving you a sip of water.

"I don't know about that" You muttered, feeling like your body might split in two as the burning sensation intensified. "Nothing comes natural to me"

"Motherhood will"

You felt the tears falling again at the words of encouragement.

You'd never thought you'd be here.

Obviously not, currently here: in a cellar giving birth as your town is attacked by a horde of killing machines and your baby daddy is in danger of being ripped apart or infected.

But in general.

You'd never thought you'd make a good mother, the thought of having children never even crossed your mind. When you first showed up in Jackson you were a broken, scared girl. You'd done and experienced things on the outside that haunted you, even to this day. You swore you would never curse another being with living in this fucked up world and you'd never let your guard down again. It was something you held onto even as the cramped trailer pulled into the heart of Jackson.

You had managed to keep to yourself for all of five days before you were introduced to a particularly tall guy who immediately struck you as a good guy.

And not one of those guys who pretends to be a good guy to get what they want or to impress someone, but a genuine good guy. You admired him.

Cut to a couple months and many patrols later, you'd decided that you liked Mr. Good Guy. You liked his dorky jokes and the things he'd taught you about life. He easily jumped over all of the remaining walls you had left standing until there was nothing left to hide.

Life was good.

Mr. Good Guy finally made a move on you after months and months of subtle hints and flirty banter. And the relationship snowballed from there.

The two of you had talked about children and babies in casual manners. Jesse enjoyed volunteering as a coach for the limited amount of sports that Jackson offered, finding fulfillment in creating bonds with the young generation and being a role model. You'd go along and watch him in his element as kids jumped on his back and giggled at his jokes, stomach fluttering at how much of a natural he was with them.

You'd never been that way with kids, even after being settled into Jackson for as long as you had.

Often times he'd bring it up after the two of you had sex, lying sprawled out with you on his chest and heaving heavy breaths. Hypothetical questions and what ifs. It surprised you that he even pondered the idea, but then again Jackson was safe and lot of members were having babies.

You'd been rocking the pull out method for the entirety of your relationship and it worked like a charm, but you'd learned it wasn't always the best method considering you'd fallen pregnant after about eight months of dating.

You didn't bother trying to hide it, you couldn't after you realized you'd been about 2 months late. You had experienced some nausea and vomiting but assumed it was a stomach bug that you couldn't kick and Jesse magically avoided. With the hustle and bustle of Jackson and all the tasks you just simply not noticed when you didn't bleed.

Jesse had came into the house after a long day on patrol and found you curled in a ball on the bed, hysterically crying. He held you, trying as best as he could to calm you down. And eventually you did. Hours later you were curled up against him on the bed while he played with your hair and peppered you with kisses. He validated your fears and listened intently as you articulated your feelings about the situation. He had talked about the future in a way that made you feel hopeful. That night as he drifted off to sleep with his arms wrapped tight around your frame, the realization hit you that you didn't mind having a child as long as he was with you on the journey.

Of course, now, in present day you were alone. And the gunfire had yet to cease. And you didn't know if Jesse was alive or dead.

You screamed out as you pushed, feeling like hours had passed and time was dragging on. You were doing as Maria said, listening to your body but it proved difficult as the pain was nearly too much to bare.

"I want Jesse" You cried for the 15th time as the labor progressed, clutching the arms of the women who had joined to help, "I can't do this without him"

You were exhausted and the dusty air in the cellar was wearing on your lungs.

"I know sweetie," Maria was between your legs, popping her head up to coach you. When she appeared this time she rubbed your shaking knees, "And I know it hurts but you're almost there, give me two more big pushes, okay?"

You screamed again, bearing down and pushing hard, so hard that your head began to spin. If you weren't currently writhing in pain you might've felt bad for all the other people in the cellar having to listen to you.

"Push, push —"

Another scream came as you continued to try before falling back onto the small amount of padding behind your head, "–fuck, I can't"

"You have to" Maria shouted, trying to be calm but failing due to the stress, "I can see the babies head, just two more really big pushes"

You groaned trying to reposition yourself as you caught your breath, feeling a tiny hand slide over your right hand that was clutching tight to the blanket.

When you rolled your head to the side you could see Ben, Maria and Tommy's son, was sitting criss cross apple sauce beside you. His too big superhero pajamas enveloping his little body as he gave you a sweet smile.

You couldn't remember if he had been there the whole time, but he was there now, present in the moment and squeezing the top of your hand twice before picking up your hand and making you hold his little one.

"You can squeeze my hand as hard as you want, I'm strong like the hulk" His little voice calming you in a way you didn't expect. You nodded at him through the heavy breathing and another shooting pain.

He watched, eyes wide as you cry out again, the contractions trying their best to coax you through this last stage. You gave his hand a small squeeze, one that you could control and watched him beam with a smile, "See, it's doesn't hurt me"

You're sure you looked crazy smiling at him, sweat and tears keeping your face red and wet.

"Okay babe, here we go, let's do this" Maria coached again, voice shaking slightly.

You did as she said, actively remembering that your right hand was holding a small child's and using your left hand to dig into the adult woman's hand.

Another scream echoed through the cellar and you were panting like a dog by the time it was over. "Give me one last big, big push girl you got this—"

You sobbed in response, quite literally feeling like you may rip in two if you make one more move. The gunfire still echoed from above and you felt helpless.

What if Jesse is dead? What if the infected get in here and everyone dies? What if there's no point in any of this?

At this point Maria's voice felt miles away. And you felt like you were going to pass out from the exertion.

You moved to look at Ben again who was holding a Batman action figure, old with the paint fading and cape torn, clearly well loved in its years before the infected came. His little hand wavering slightly as he held him out to you.

"Batman can help"

Did you believe the 5 year old? Of course not. Did you take Batman in your sweaty hand and squeeze him anyway? Fuck yes.

"I need you to give it your all"

Your all was given about an hour ago when you started pushing. But still you beared down again, grinding teeth and sharp breaths sending spit flying onto your shirt. You clutched tightly to Batman and squeezed your eyes shut.

You were screaming so loud that you couldn't hear when Maria was talking again, you had thrown your head back again, gasping for air when you heard the glorious sound.

The smallest little cry that erupted made the room go quiet. The chatter of others silencing as a collective sigh was released.

You brought your hand up to your face, crying freely against it as you listened to the sound. A sound that you never thought would bring you so much comfort.

Two of the women helped prop you up against a crate with the blanket behind you as Maria appeared at your side, "She's beautiful"

A girl.

She had her wrapped up in a dark blanket, as she motioned for you to take her. When she transferred the baby to your arms you finally got to look at her.

She was covered in birth, bloody and white pieces stuck in her little black hairs. She was small but she looked healthy with chubby little cheeks. Her little fingers were spread, moving slowly as she became accustomed to being outside of you.

"Hi there pretty girl," You cooed, crying right along with her as you held her up to your chest, rocking ever so slightly, her whimpering continuing, "I know, I know"

You pressed your chapped lips to her small head, humming quietly as the women around you helped Maria and got you more comfortable as you delivered the placenta. But you barely noticed, too wrapped up in your own world.

"What's her name?" Ben asked, still sitting beside you on the floor, leaning over slightly to look at the new baby without getting in your space.

"I dunno" You let out a euphoric sigh as you counted her fingers and toes,"What do you think?"

"Well—" He started without a second thought, moving to his knees and leaning carefully against your shoulder to get a better look, "What about Batman?"

"Ben—" Maria started as she cleaned you up, rolling her eyes at her son, but you cut her off, smiling at the little boy.

"I don't know if her daddy will like that name very much" You adjust slightly so he can get a good look at her face, "Is there another name you can think of?"

Ben giggles, bringing his finger to his chin in a mock thinking position, "What about Robin?"

Your heart jumped at the name, you'd heard it before.

"Who's Robin?"

Ben took a breath, surprised at your little-to-no knowledge of superhero's, "Robin is Batman's side kick, he's brave and strong and has superhuman agility—"

It was also the name of Jesse's late mother. Of course, you had never met her but Jesse had told you countless stories. You couldn't believe you'd never thought about the name before.

"I love that name Ben" You cut him off from his spiel of Batman and Robin lore, reaching out and handing him the Batman toy that you had forgotten after the final push.

"Do you think Jesse will like it?" Ben was leaving your side to jump excitedly near his mom who had just covered you with a blanket after cleaning you up.

"I think he will love it"

•

Hours passed and there had still been no one to come and say that it was safe to come out. The gunfire was spread out now, every couple of minutes a new shot ringing out. No one inside the cellar could figure out what that meant.

You focused on the baby, successfully getting her to latch with some help from Maria. It felt so natural having her there on your chest that you had a hard time remembering any of the pain you'd just gone through.

You smiled to yourself, leaning your head back against the wall as your eyes became heavy, blinking a couple times to awake yourself up.

"You did great momma," Maria praised, pushing the hair back behind you as she crouched down, behind her Ben was playing with Batman next to a kid with a toy car, "You should get some rest"

"No I'm okay," You shook your head as if it would fling the drowsiness away, "I wanna stay awake until Jesse is back"

"I know," Maria couldn't hide the pity in her eyes as she looked over you and the baby. She knew how you felt, not knowing if Tommy was okay or not, "How about you just rest your eyes?"

"Promise to wake me when they're back?" Eyes already closing as you positioned yourself to lean against a crate as you held the baby.

You were drifting off before Maria could even respond.

•

When you woke up again you heard hushed voices and the cellar was much quieter than before you'd fallen asleep. You moved carefully, feeling the baby breathing against your chest.

When you opened your eyes you saw Ben jumping around the now empty cellar, not a care in the world. He was talking louder than the others, telling a story about Batman saving the day.

Your eyes shot open as you realized everyone was gone. When you leaned up you could see Maria, Tommy and Jesse.

Jesse.

He had his arms crossed over his broad chest, fingers drumming nervously on his skin as he listened to Maria talk.

He must've heard you move against the crate because he was leaving the married couple and rushing to your side.

As he came into full view you felt a sense of pure relief wash over you at the sight of him so close again. He set his gun down on the ground before crouching down in front of you.

"Hi" He breathed, eyes locked on you before falling to the blanket in your arms.

"Hey"

"Are you okay?" His hand slid against your cheek, cradling your face. You leaned into it, feeling the warmth in the otherwise cool cellar.

You nodded, pursing your lips as you sat up slightly, still feeling a little rough. You glanced at him as he moved to sit at your side. He watched intently as you pulled the blanket down exposing the face of the tiny human.

"You did so good" He gushed, reaching out to touch her tiny hand, before looking to you and pressing a kiss to your severely chapped lips, "You're amazing"

His doting always made you feel like a love sick teenager. But now, the way he admired you and the baby, it made your heart soar.

"Jesse, do you wanna hold your daughter?"

"Daughter?" He blinked, absorbing what you said, staring at the baby in your arm before looking back to you. You nodded, tears pricking your eyes as you watched him hold his arms out.

When you set her in his arms he nearly melted against the wall, moving carefully to get her cozy against him.

You didn't have to coach him on how to hold her, Jesse was an expert on holding babies, making visits to little newborns whenever Tommy announced a new birth in the town.

For the first time since you'd given birth to her, your hands were free and you were able to sit up fully next to him.

"Hi baby," He whispered, rocking her ever so gently, "My girl, it's nice to finally meet you"

You were able to fully look at him without the distraction of the baby in your arms. He looked like hell and smelt of smoke. The shirt that he'd been wearing when he came downstairs so many hours before, was now torn with a large hole near the bottom. His hair was messy and he had new cuts and bruises across his visible skin.

Tommy and Maria appeared in front of you two, watching fondly as Jesse cooed to her.

"You did good kiddo" Tommy smiled, reaching out to ruffle your already messy hair. He looked just as rough as Jesse, blood stains on his flannel shirt and a slight limp when he walked. "She picked one helluva night to come"

"I couldn't have done it without Maria" You smiled, leaning back against the wall next to Jesse so you could peer over at your baby.

"A girl born under a full moon and an attack of infected," Maria hummed, with Tommy's arm draped over her, "This one will keep you on your toes"

You smiled at that, forgetting that all those hours ago that you saw the full moon up on the night sky.

There was a moment of silence that fell in the cellar and you glanced up the stairs where the sun was peeking through the windows of the restaurant and spilling down into the room.

"How did we do?"

Tommy opened his mouth to respond before Jesse was stopping him, looking up at him and then to you, "I'll tell you all about it later"

It was Jesse's way of not ruining the moment. Your moment. He just wanted to enjoy this.

"What did you name her?" Jesse asked, changing the subject as she began to move her fingers around his thumb.

"Oh—Oh!" Ben suddenly entered the conversation, running at full speed across the cellar floor to Jesse, before Tommy caught him and picked him up off the ground, "Can I tell him?"

"Yes Ben, you tell him" You smiled, bringing your hand to Jesse's bicep and impatiently waiting for the little boy to speak.

"So you know Batman right?" Ben asked, hanging from his father's shoulders as he spoke.

Jesse nodded, looking between you and the kid with a puzzled look. Probably wondering what Batman villain Ben had talked you into.

Penguin? Poison ivy? The joker?

"Well he has a sidekick, his name is Robin and he goes around helping Batman fight al—"

Jesse's head snapped to you, finally piecing it together as Ben continued to talk, now hanging upside down from his father's grasp.

"Really?"

"Really," You smiled, cheeks growing sore at the motion. "After your mom"

"—and Batman's sidekick" Ben hollered as Maria and Tommy moved up the stairs to give you some privacy.

You shook your head, giggling at the little boy before you turned back to Jesse who was staring at you with a look you didn't fully recognize.

"What's wrong?"

"I should've been here," Jesse sniffled, moving his head in the other direction where the bloody blankets lay in the corner, "You were scared and you needed me here—"

"You kept us safe" You insisted calmly, hand rubbing slowly on his arm, noticing a large bruise forming that you would ask about later, "All that matters is that you're here now"

He looked back at you, tears staining his cheeks as he continued to cradle Robin in his arms. You didn't let him speak again, worried he would continue to beat himself up. Instead you moved in to kiss him again, tasting the saltiness of his tears as his lips moved against yours.

The kiss covered everything that needed to be said. The fear, the regret, the happiness.

You giggled against his lips when the sound of Robin fussing echoed around the room.

"She's very talkative" You pressed a kiss to his neck before turning your attention to her as Jesse rocked her, falling perfectly into dad mode.

"She's perfect" He sighed, admiring her features as he run a light finger over her forehead.

"She is," You moved closer to rest your head against his shoulder, both of you staring down adoringly at the little one, "I can't believe she's ours"

He rested his head against yours, a sound of complete relief falling from his lips.

"Oh and by the way, that thing you read about orgasming during the pregnancy is false"

"Huh?" Jesse chuckled, looking up from Robin.

"You know, when you said orgasming would help with labor or whatever," You lifted your head to look at him, "It didn't help, like at all"

"Oh—" Jesse's eyes got big as he realized what you were referring to, "I never read that anywhere"

"What?" You laughed, smacking at his leg as to not disturb your baby.

"I just like eating you out"

[fandomnerd9602]

Dina smiles as she sees Y/N taking off their backpack and boots…

Dina: hey you

Y/N; hey baby. You look beautiful as always

Dina: (blushes) shut up…kiss me like you missed me

Y/N: well c’mere then

Dina jumps into Y/N’s arms, kissing them passionately…

[serqphites]

was gonna write some dina smut but honestly it's a bit boring just writing sex on repeat, so here's a few soft!gf dina hcs instead!! <3

not proofread! no others warnings :)

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feel like i have to start this out with the. thumb. thing!!! it's such a comfort for the both of you, whether it's her thumb gently caressing the back of your hand at one of jackson's many events, or yours on the back of hers to help cool her down when you know she's on the brink of snapping at someone.

"but babe he just pushed you and didn't even turn around to say sorry! i mean what kind of asshole-" you cut off her enraged (and very over the top) rant by ever so carefully tugging at her hand, dina finally taking the time to register the familiar feeling of your tender skin against her own, your thumb gliding side to side on the back of her clenched fist. she takes a breath, choosing to just storm away from the stables as you follow hot on her heels. "still think i should've said something" she remarks, turning back at you to playfully roll her eyes.

this girl lovesss making you lunches, it's her love language and you can't convince me otherwise! always showing up to meet you before patrol, as happy as anything as she hands you a box of whatever the hell she's decided to feed you that day. on the off chance she isn't available to meet you, she'll always make sure jesse stops by her place to pick it up to deliver to you, much to his dismay.

^^^bonus to that but she 100000% always leaves little cards with jokes on inside, and if she knows you're having a rough week she makes sure to leave a sweet message on the back <3

laying in bed with dina has to be so healing sorry. this girl is a CUDDLER. doesn't matter where you are. on patrol? she's nagging you to take a break in a nearby furniture store to 'try out all the beds'. at a council meeting? her head is on your shoulder while her eyes grow teary from the amount of times she has yawned. but her favourite place to cuddle is obviously in bed, her head on your bare chest while her hand traces patterns wherever she can reach. skin to skin is such a huge thing for her.

always teasing you for not having a clue she liked you. like you were so painfully oblivious, she just can't let it go.

"i made it so obvious, i just have no idea how you didn't know," she chuckles to herself as the two of you walk down the quiet streets of jackson just after dark, kicking a rock as she strolls beside you. "it's not exactly like you made it obvious," you mutter, knowing full well she really fucking did make it obvious. it's very telling that everybody knew before you did. hell, even tommy could see it 'clear as day' according to him. "oh i'm sorry you're right, i get how kissing you could've been misinterpreted." she teases, poking at your side before you link arms and continue on your usual nightly stroll.

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[floredaqueen]

A wip of the "office" romance I'm curating between Isa and Bruce! I think I'm getting better at drawing him, but we will see..♡ Pls Enjoy

[tabathastan]

Anyone have any Encanto requests, since im going to start writing for them!!!

Ecanto

Bruno Madrigal

(Coming soon)

Isabela Madrigal

(Coming soon)

Camilo Madrigal

(Coming soon)

Dolores Madrigal

(Coming soon)

[cokoladasljesnjakom]

The glimpse of us

summary: 5 years later, thats all it took. Ellie grew up, being the 19 year old she was and being stubborn to the point it drove Alex crazy. while joel was down in his office fixing up some random shit he wanted to do for a while. what happens when Ellie comes back from the patrol and she sees joel sitting with Alex? still time to find out.

joel miller x platonic! reader, ellie williams x older sister! reader (ALTERNATIVE UNIVERSE)

word count: 4.5k

a/n: in the honor of the new season of The Last of Us, i have made a one shot! yeah a one shot, so if you see some of the similar characters from the story im writing m, thats why. i sobbed when I was watching the new episode and just thinking about it makes me SOB. i really hope you guys enjoy reading this, coz writing this made me want to claw my eyes out :)

masterlist

“What are you doing?”

“Making sure we don't get caught, that's what I'm doing.”

“Well, we just might get caught if you don't stop fidgeting with a fucking doorknob.” Alex said, her voice dripping with annoyance. She narrowed her eyes at him and pulled him by his hand, making him stop in his tracks and look at her.

“You're such an idiot, you know that, right?” Alex whispered, trying not to speak up too loudly, because Joel could just burst in her room any time he wanted to. He just smiled at her and pulled her closer, closing the distance between them. “Sue me for loving my best girl.” He kissed her softly on the lips, making her hum against his lips. “Plus, I haven't got the chance to have you for like two days. And now that I have you next to me, we could do a lot of ‘stuff ’we have to do.”

She laughed, their bodies swaying with each move they made, making her lean in his touch and prepper little kisses on his face. “Hm, and what's the ‘stuff’ that we need to do, oh so urgently? Because how I remember, we did everything-” he quickly shut her off with a kiss, making her laugh against his lips, his hands on her waist, pulling her closer, craving her touch even now when he had her in his arms. The thought of not having her next to him, made his mind spin. Two days. Thats it all took. And he was all over her, practically on his damn knees just to have her. She wasn't any better to be honest. Not having the chance to feel his touch in those two days made her crazy.

For two days she had to watch girls fawn over him. She had to watch girls flirting with him in front of her, like she didn't exist and God she hated that feeling. She hated watching the love of her life just getting taken away from her, even if it meant for a minute or two. And the chance they gotten to be together? It made her skin burn with every touch she made with him. She wanted to be next to him for eternity. She wanted to tangle her ribs together with his, to feel his lips on her for the rest of her life. So, she just pulled him closer, and she gasped, feeling his hands roam on her body and kissing her like her is no tomorrow.

“Hey Alex, so I need you and Dina to take up on the-” Jesse stopped, watching the sight in front of him unfolding with disgusted face. “God, you guys are so gross, you can do that stuff somewhere else.” his eyes narrowed, and he nodded his head to the doors, tapping his wrist as if he was setting up how much they have to dress up. Closing the doors, he stopped in his steps and turned his head, his voice teasing. “Oh, and Bucky. Before you head out, fix the problem. I don't want you to scare off the kids around. And for god’s sake please just hurry up.”

Bucky looked down at his 'problem’ and blushed, nodding his head at Jesse, while Alex just flipped Jesse off, while shouting out to him. “Don't act like you weren't like that before. I saw you and Dina grinding against each other and-” Bucky stepped her and pulled her closer to him, while he spoke up instead of Alex. He knew that whatever was going to slip out from her mouth, he’ll have to stop her, eventually. “we’ll be there. Five minutes tops.” Jesse just nodded his head and closed the doors behind him with a loud thud.

Alex squinted her eyes at Bucky, her hand squeezing his so hard, he thought it was going to fall off. He just kissed her knuckles making her calm down a little bit and she leaned into his touch. “Tonight, it's just going to be me and you. I promise.” and she nodded her head, both now walking off and closing the doors quietly.

--

“Oh well, look at that. A lover boy and my sister. Wow, can you believe this? A real power couple.” Ellie teased Alex when she saw bucky holding Alex's hand in his hand, pressing herself against him, searching for warmth. The weather was cold outside, snow crunching against their boots and the air getting colder every time they breathed in.

“Talk about yourself first. The way that you look at Dina amazes me every day you know? It just shows how much scaredy cat you are.” Ellie just looked at Alex and flipped her off, talking back to her like they always did. “At least I'm not overthinking every choice that i made. Now go back to kissing your little boy toy that you have.” Alex opened her mouth to say something snarky at Ellie, but a hand stopped her. Bucky's hand was on Alex's mouth, making her muffle against the palm of his hand when she started to speak.

Ellie just laughed at Alex face, and she stuck her tongue out at her. “Okay people, how are we? I hope you're fucking great, because I need you to be completely sober and not riled up.” Jesse spoke up and his eyes burning hole in Bucky's head like he expected that he’s going to explode every minute. Ellie’s eyes widened in surprise and her coughed against her palm, hiding her laugh, making Bucky glare at her. And just in time, Dina joined the group, her chest heaving with every breath she took. Looks like she ran to meet up with them. She nudged Ellie, making her slightly stumble and she blushed at Dina.

“What's cooking, good looking?” she pointed towards Ellie and then she smiled at her, making Alex to grin and she mouthed out to Ellie. “Told you so.” and Ellie just glared to her while mouthing out to Alex, her finger raised so high up that the heavens might just bless her or end her. “I hate you.” and Alex just laughed at her.

“What took you so long?” Jesse asked Dina, making her eyes to snap from Ellie's to his, her hands rubbing against each other to warm up. “Oh, I was at Joel's place. There was a problem on the pipe thingy, and I needed to tell him, so yeah.” hearing Joel's name, made Ellie to straighten up and her eyes before bright and shining, now were dark and empty. Alex saw that so she shrugged Bucky’s hand off from her and walked to Ellie, hugging her side.

Since that day, everything fell apart. The day that Ellie found out that both of her sister and the man that she loved like a father hid something so important. She hated what they did. She hated that he took the chance of her saving the world. She hated that her sister did the same thing. She hated what they did, but she never hated them. She could never imagine her hating two most important people in her life. She loved them to the point she would rather give up on her life, than bring herself to hating them. Things with Joel weren't going so smoothly. She felt like she was a burden to him and Alex. She hated that she couldn't trust him anymore.

Alex was a different situation. She was her sister and the only person who was next to her no matter how things gotten bad. She didn't talk to Alex in months, maybe even years. But over time she managed to have a courage to speak up first. She was getting tired of ignoring her sister and pretending like she doesn't exist. So, they talked. They talked until dawn, crying with each other, telling the stories and making up the time they weren't talking. To this day they were still fixing up the wounds, but it was easier now. She wanted to give Joel another chance, to bring the old banter between the two of them. She wanted to bring the old spark between her, Alex and Joel.

Snapping out from her trance, Alex called out, her voice soothing and calming Ellie down. “You’re with us?” Ellie just nodded her head yes and she smiled at Alex, her fingers interlinked with Alex's, like she was the one who was keeping her sane. Jesse looked at Ellie, waiting for her to calm down and she nodded her head to him to continue with the speech he made up. Dina just apologized and her fingers touched Ellie’s, making her to take her hand in hers and bring it closer to her side.

“Okay so, the reason I called you guys here was because, today, you guys” Jesse pointed to Ellie and Dina “are going on a patrol and I need you to be safe. You know the way, you know how to defend yourself and you know that the second you see something bad, you come back.” Alex just punched Ellie on her shoulder and Ellie punched back, making Jesse and Bucky to grumble and to separate the girls. Dina just laughed as she got on her horse, strapping the things they needed for the trip to hell. Ellie got on her horse, checking if she forgot something.

Jesse turned around to face Alex and Bucky, his fingers poiting at their way. “you guys are not going on a patrol today.” Alex’s eyebrows scrunched up in confusion and she took a step forward, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “what do you mean ‘we’re not going on a patrol?’ I signed up for that shit today! I’m not going to let some old fucks to handle a mission that their ass couldn’t handle. You give me that patrol right now or I swear to god-” Bucky just rolled his eyes and took Alex by her hand and nodded to Jesse, his voice calm, unlike Alex’s. “okay. We’re gonna be with the horses today. That sounds good?” Jesse just laughed at Alex’s reaction and nodded his head yes. “just be careful so the shit doesn’t hits you in the face.”

“Okay so you are going on Alpine run, you do as I say and you listen what Kat says. She’s your leader today. You see a clicker or two, you clear ‘em out, you see anything bad, as I told you, you come back and we’re gonna send up a squad. We clear?” Jesse told the group and he tossed them the green and yellow rags? flags? Whatever that was, and Alex couldn’t help but tease Ellie with the joke that the group favourized and used it daily. “You look like Kurtis and Viper.” Ellie just grumbled and muttered something under her breath. “the fuck?” while Dina smiled and raised her eyebrows at Alex making both of them to laugh.

Bucky watched the scene unfolding in front of him and he loved it. He loved the moment of pretendending that his girlfriend’s sister is just a 19 year old. While being in relationship with Alex, Bucky and Ellie treated each other like brother and sister. He loved Ellie as his younger sister. Long time ago he was a brother too, but the world had to take her away from him on the worst way possible. And then he met Alex and through Alex, he met Ellie. Looking back he’s so thankfull on the chance that he got to meet Alex. Because without her. He knew that he couldn’t survive in this world.

Alex looked at Ellie and walked closer to her, making ellie to get closer so she could tell her something. “Be carefull and don’t do anything stupid. Because I know that you are going to do something like that and I cant let you do that anymore.” she looked at dina and told her, while gripping Ellie’s hands. “You keep an eye on yourself too and don’t let her do something stupid, please. I trust you.” And Dina nodded her head in ressuring way.

“Okay! Are you guys ready? I hope you are because today you’re gonna have some fun!” Jesse yelled out and Ellie and Dina took off, Kat and the three other men following them, while the gates closed, their figures dissapearing in the distance.

“well what ae you two doing here? C’mon! Get to the work. Lets go!” jesse told both to Alex and Bucky, while walking off in a diffrend direction. Alex sighed out and took Bucky’s hand in hers while slowly backing away. “Im just going to check up on Joel. See if he needs help with anything. I love you though.” She smiled at him.

“Yeah and you’re gonna let me clean the horse shit alone, right?” Bucky asked his lips hoovering over hers, enough to make her lean in his touch. “Sorry, I hate that stuff. Besides, It’s the thought that counts.” And then she ran off in a diffrend direction, leaving Bucky alone and to laugh at her antics.

--

Walking she tried to warm up her hands, because it was freezing outside. She regrets not taking her gloves with her and she cursed under her breath, getting finally inside house, closing the doors behind her. “I’m home!” she yelled out practically to no one, because he didn’t came back from the therapy session he had with Gail. She never actually liked Gail, considering that Eugene was her husband, that Joel had to kill. While she has no idea what was the rrason he killed him, she didn’t question it. She knew that the wound was still fresh and hurting, Alex didn’t poked her nose in places she wasn’t supposed to be.

Shrugging her jacket off and putting it on the hanger, next to the doors, she took her boots off and slipped the shoes for the house, because in the winter, the floor was impossible to walk with your bare feet.

Walking into the kitchen, she opened the fridge and took an apple, biting onto it and sat down on the couch, turning the radio that they had. Being in a city meant staying off the radio, keeping the location safe and the people in Jackson. With each day that passed, more people came in the city and the places that took the whole city weren’t enough to fit the amount of people the council let in. She knows that she shouldn’t judge those people, because once, before five years ago, she was one of them. She was one of those people who seeked out the place to stay, and so did Ellie and Joel.

She remembers the day that both of her and Ellie got introduced to the neighboor they were in, her hands shook on her sides, and her breathing grew quicker with each move she made. Ellie noticed that, and she took Alex’s hand in hers, their fingers interlinking together, making Alex to calm down from the anxiety that consumed her.

That was the day she met Bucky. The first time she saw him, she remembers how she looked at him and how he looked at her. All of thise mixed emotions inside her made her feel like she was in some kind of trance, stuck in a maze, trying to find a way out, trying to find out what was happening with her the months that she spent with him, his touches, his voice and the way that he acted torwards her. She didn’t know if she liked the attention that she got from him, or if she hated it.

She remembers the day that she got sick of the feeling butterflies exploding in her stomach and her face getting red every time he talked to her, or when he looked at her. So, she told him her feelings for him, and fuck, did it made her feel like he was going to repeat her any minute that she spoke up. The gut in her throat made her feel like she was going to bawl her eyes out, like she was going to curl into a little ball and never show up in front of him.

What she didn’t expect from him, is to pull her closer to him and to kiss her until her lungs burned. She was in sshock to the point that she pulled away from him and slapped him on the face. When she saw his face twisting in a confusion, she gasped and apologized for doing that, for even thinking about that. And then a switch flipped on inside her, and the next thing that she did, shocked both, her and Bucky. She took him by his head and kissed him with so much urgence, like she craved his lips on hers. The second that he kissed her back, its like a missing piece of a puzzle came together and made the final cut. The missing puzzle that was very much needed for a picture to be finished.

The way that he pulled er closer, feeling every part of her body under his fingertips, his lips getting red and her hands itching to feel him, to make him hers. The more they kissed, the more the room has gotten, their bodies swaying and melting with each others, making it impossible for them to break the kiss.

Snapping out from the memories, she heard the doors closing and loud footsteps, meaning that Joel was back from the session. “Well, hello, aren’t you pretty?” she teased him from the couch, her legs proping on the armrest on the couch and her grin so wide, it hurt her cheeks. “Take your feet of the armrest.” Joel walked over to her and moved her legs from the couch, making her to huff and sit up straight, biting on the apple and then offering the half of it to Joel with a little wink. “These apples man, I swear to god, they are so good, like how do they have apples in the middle of the winter? I wonder how did they got them-”

“For a twenty-three year old, you sure talk a lot.” Then he looked at her and the apple, and he took it from her arms bkting onto the apple, making Alex to laugh and she leaned on his shoulders. “What can I say man. I learned from the best.” She looked at him when she told “from the best” and he rolled his eyes, a small smile appearing on his face. He ruffled her hair and then kissed her hairline, he asked her, his voice teasing and little firm. “How was your day? Did anything stupid yet? Or you just sneaked that little fucker in your room, again?” he looked at hagainis eyes burning a hole in her head and she groaned, hitting him on the shoulder. “Oh fuck you. You know just because people here like to snoop around and make stupid arguments, doesn’t mean that I’m the one who’s the bad guy in here. It's not my fault, my hand tends to accidentally fly out and hit someone square in the face.” She spoke up, grumbling and her voice growing annoyed every time she spoke about the people who liked to snoop around.

“And for your concern, he is my boyfriend and I. an bring him here any time that I want to.” Alex spoke up, her head so high, Joel thought that she was going to fly out if she raises her head one more time. “And this is my house. If you want to bring him around, do it when it’s a day time, not when there is dark outside.” He bit on the apple and spoke up, his mouth full “I want him on a dinner, tomorrow night. To meet him properly, as my daguhter’s boyfriend.”

“Wha- why? You know Bucky for as long as we are here. Five years Joel.” Alex told him and Joel nodded his head and spoke up quetly. “That doesn’t change the fact that I want to meet him properly this time. He’s the one who’s dating you, not someone else. I want to make sure that both of my daguhter’s have a good life, even if it meant that I’m the one who is going to annoy your head off.”

When Alex heard what he said, her eyes softened up and she spoke up, her voice calm and quiet. “Okay, I guess. I’ll invite him over, but you have to promkse me that you’re not going to scare him off. He respects you to the point he’s scared of you.” She pointed her finger at him, her voice growing even more softer. “And I love him. So just, please be who you are, but please don’t fuck this up.” Joel could see the softness in his eyes. He could regnocize himself in her position, because he was in love too. Tess, she was the one he looked up to, the one he really could say that he loved more than a friend. The day that she died, when she forced him to go away and to save Alex and Ellie, was the day that another part of him died. To this day, he keeps the picture of him, Tommy and Tess in his box, hidden away from everyone.

Joel nodded his head. “I won’t. Scout’s honor.” He crossed his fingers on his heart and Alex laughed. Oh how much he missed that sound, he missed the old times, when him, Alex and Ellie used to gather on the couch and have movie nights until one of the girls fell asleep. He missed the times when he could talk to both of the girls and nothing could euin the banter between them. He knew that Ellie and Alex fixed their problem with each other, and believe him, he’s glad that there is not akward tension between two sisters, but god, does he wishes that the things between him and Ellie are normal again. He constantly wishes for the time when he could get close to her and bother her with no problem, cracking dad jokes and make her life living a hell, teasing both, her and Alex about their crushes they had.

His thought were interrupted by the doors opening and closing. He knew those footsteps. He regnocized the soft footsteps, the ones that were so quiet, only he could hear them from a mile away. “I’m back.” And Alex stood up, not before squeezing Joel’s hand and taking the apple from him, throwing it in the trash. He looked at her offendedly and she told him, her voice obvious and clear. “You ate the apple. Shit, you devoured that poor thing.” And then she walked off to Ellie’s direction, his eyes softening at sight in front of him. The two sisters, one older, who was trying to have a normal talk with her younger sister, who was throwing jabs at her, teasing her about her boyfriend and joking around, while the other jesu groaned and shoved the younger one. A smile appeared on his face, and then Ellie looked at him and just nod her head, with a little smile. And Joel swears, his heart never wanted to jump out from his chest. He never wanted to jump from the couch and to yell on the top of his lungs that, Ellie just smiled at him, even if it was one small smile.

“What’s for dinner? You did something edible or do we have to beg Maria again for the pizza?” Ellie teased Alex, and she furrowed her eyebrows. “That’s the first thing you say to your older sister? Not even a ‘hi, how are you?’ or ‘oh, hey I love that you’re my older sister, I literally love you so much?’, nothing?” and Ellie laughed, bumping her shoulder against Alex’s, deciding to sit on the couch. Next to Joel. Yeah. She knows, a big fucking step, but she cant help but crave his presence, or the way that the things used to be before. And Joel? Yeah, hes fuckin panicking. Sweat on his face and his hands shaking, he was the one who spoke up first. “Hey kiddo. How was uh- your day? I mean, yeah um- how was your day?”

Alex stood there, grinning and her hands fiddgeting with each other, so she decided to go in the kitchen, to set up the plates for the dinner, she had made, hours ago. She couldn’t help but to eavesdrop the conversation between them.

“I’m good, yeah. Uh how are you? Anything new while I was gone?” Ellie asked, her voice shaking with each word she spoke. “Yeah, yeah, im good thanks and no, nothing new, besides the fact that uh- Alex’s boyfriend iako coming on uh- dinner tomorrow night. And if you want, you can bring Dina too, so we can have um dinner family.” Joel talked, but his voice gave him out, making Alex to laugh quetly in the kitchen, placing the plates down on the table.

Joel just glared at her, while Ellie stiffled a laugh before speaking. “yeah sure, why not.” She got up from the couch and stood in front of Joel, her hand pointing to the table. “well, dinner’s ready and I don’t know for you, but im fucking starving, so, wanna join us?”

Joel nodded his head and he got up from the couch and walked over to the table, where dinner was served. And just as he was about to sit down, Alex clicked her tongue and pointed to the sink. “Nuh-uh, wash your damn hands first, then sit down.” She mentioned to both, Ellie and Joel.

Sighing, the girl and the man stood up and washed their hands, drying them on the little towel they had next to sink. Sitting down, they sighed out and ellie whistled out. “Oh hell yeah, cheff Boyardee, ravioli, my favourite.” And Joel smiled, remembering the first time the girls tried the canned food. It’s like it was yesterday, when they took the food from Bill's and Frank’s place, God bless their souls and let them rest in peace.

“Yeah, yeah, shut up and eat, dumbass.” Alex told her and the girls began with eating, while Joel watched them, his heart feeling full and he prayed to the heavens above, to have remember this forever.

“You don’t like it? Oh come on man! I tried okay? Its just the fucking stove-” and Joel interrupted Alex, nodding his head at the meal in front of him, his fork picking up the ravioli on it. “No, it’s good. Thank you for changing me for once.”

“On the second thought, this is disgusting.” Ellie spoke up, while still eating the dinner. Alex scoffed and took the plate from Ellie, maki g her to protest. “Hey! I wasn’t finished eating your horrible dinner!” and that was the straw that the playful fight between two sisters began.

Joel watched, eating his dinner and hoped for the best. He didn’t wanted angry Alex in the morning, or hungry Ellie, complaining over small things. Even though, that didn’t sound like a bad idea. Having his two baby girls next to him, even if it meant testing each others paitence, made him smile like fool he was.

[marveldcfandom]

Dina: Hey baby, where were you at?

Y/N: I was with Joel & Eille why?

Dina: Because I miss you.

Y/N: You could have find me.

Dina: Too lazy. I need some cuddles.

[reistante]

Isabela Merced as Dina in “The Last of Us” 2x04

[lovedbysolaris]

Unsigned Feelings (4)

Isabela Merced x Reader

Summary: You were hired to help her write an album not fall for her. Ghostwriting kept you safe. Until her. Isabela Merced sees through the walls you built with every lyric. What starts as late-night writing sessions turns into something you can’t name—until it hurts not to. But your past doesn’t stay buried. And when secrets surface and pressure builds, you're left with one choice: walk away like you always do... or stay and fight for the one thing you never let yourself want.

Word Count: 3.8k

Warnings: honestly this aint a crazy story... well this chapter? yes. some violence. attempted suicide. hospital. Depression. and some more.

____________________________________

The key Vanessa handed you had a sunflower keychain attached to it.

You turned it over in your hand as you stood at Isabela’s front door. For a moment, you debated turning around. Going home. Saying you forgot. Lying. Anything.

But instead, you punched in the code she texted you two hours ago.

6735. Still saved in your head, even though you tried not to care enough to memorize it.

The door clicked open.

Empty.

Quiet.

You walked inside, already knowing she wasn’t home yet.

The clock on the oven read 6:01.

You poured yourself a glass of red wine and sat at the kitchen bar, one elbow propped up, one hand tracing the rim of the glass like it was a lifeline.

You weren’t nervous.

You were waiting.

There’s a difference.

Kind of.

6:43 p.m.

Still no sign.

You were mid-scroll through a folder of unused lyrics on your phone when you heard the door jiggle—then open.

And there she was.

Isabela, framed in the dim hallway light, one heel half-on, the other dragging behind her like a limp violin bow. Her coat slipping off one shoulder, her lips stained the color of fruit, eyes dancing in lazy spirals.

“Oh my God,” she breathed, slurring just slightly, eyes scanning. “Where—where’s…”

Then her eyes found you.

You didn’t move.

She smiled.

The kind of smile that melts structure. Then: “There you are.”

Before you could speak, he appeared behind her.

Young.

“Hey,” he said. “Think she might’ve had too much wine at dinner.”

He moved to lean in.

Isabela swerved.

“No, I’m—m’fine. I just—” she stumbled a step, “just wanna be with her now.”

You froze.

He blinked.

She turned to him, palm on his chest. “Thank you for dinner. But I’m okay now.”

And then she pushed him out.

Like, physically.

You almost dropped your wine glass watching her tiny frame shepherd six feet of romantic misdirection out the door.

Young looked back at you once.

That same look.

Possessive.

Territorial.

But this time… uncertain.

The door clicked shut.

And Isabela turned around with a big exhale. “He’s nice. But he doesn’t feel like…”

She didn’t finish.

You raised an eyebrow.

“Like what?”

She waved a hand and skipped it entirely, wobbling toward the kitchen.

“I’m gonna cook you something.”

You choked a laugh. “Absolutely not.”

“I am,” she insisted, pulling open drawers like a raccoon with purpose.

You watched her drop a fork.

Then a ladle.

Then a knife—point down, narrowly missing her socked foot.

“Okay,” you said, standing. “You’re gonna sit.”

“But—”

You placed a hand gently on hers.

And she looked up at you.

That’s all it took.

You guided her around the counter and back to the stool you’d just vacated.

You kept her wine out of reach.

Grabbed water instead.

You started cooking without saying much.

Pulled sirloin tips from the fridge. Peeled russets like muscle memory. Butter. Garlic. A pinch of sea salt, because she once told you table salt was “a culinary crime.”

She watched you like it was art.

Like the rhythm of your knife told a story.

“Where’d you learn to do that?” she asked softly.

You flipped a pan on. “Watched my mom.”

Her eyes fell.

You didn’t correct it.

Just kept slicing.

“How was the date?” you asked, voice casual.

She made a face. “Predictable.”

“How so?”

“Pretty boy. Good at talking. Great teeth. Zero instinct.”

You smiled to yourself. “That’s cold.”

“It’s honest.”

You passed her a spoon. “Taste this.”

She did.

Eyes closed. Head tilted. She moaned a quiet approval.

Then opened her eyes slowly.

“You’re dangerous.”

You tilted your head. “In what way?”

She held your gaze.

“In the way I could get used to.”

Dinner was soft.

She ate in small bites, still tipsy, smiling between mouthfuls.

You refilled her water. Kept your wine. Stayed seated.

Then you stood, went to a small bag near the door, and came back with a tiny box.

You slid it toward her.

She blinked. “What’s this?”

“Open it.”

She did.

Inside was a single cupcake—chocolate swirl, soft and fresh. On top sat a guitar pick, pale yellow with a sun design burned into it.

She stared.

You cleared your throat.

“I know it’s not a lot. Just thought… since we never got to celebrate the whole breaking-through-the-writer’s-block thing—”

You stopped. Flustered.

Then pushed through.

“I just… I saw you these last few weeks. Saw you claw your way out of the dark. Saw how hard it was to write anything that didn’t sound like a goodbye.”

You swallowed.

“But you didn’t give up. You turned your noise into music. And that’s rare. That’s like—sunflower rare. Still grows, even if no one waters it. Still bright, even if no one sees it.”

You pulled a single sunflower from behind your bag. Placed it in front of her.

“I think you’re like that,” you said.

She didn’t speak.

She couldn’t.

Tears welled.

One slipped down without warning.

You stayed quiet.

She wiped it quickly.

And then—finally—she looked up.

Voice hushed.

“Thank you.”

You nodded.

Something heavy hovered between you.

She stared at you a long time.

Then, slowly, softly, she whispered:

“…Do you ever feel like love is chasing you, and you’re doing everything you can not to get caught?”

You blinked. Heart paused.

She went on.

“But then it catches your sleeve anyway, and you don’t pull away fast enough, and now it’s there. And you’re not sure what to do because you weren’t supposed to want this?”

Her voice cracked.

“I didn’t mean to want this.”

You didn’t know what to say.

She was drunk.

But it didn’t sound like a lie. It sounded like a confession.

Disguised as a riddle.

You stood, suddenly unsure what to do with your hands. Your body. Your heart.

“I should get going.”

She stood too. Calling your name.

You shook your head. “It’s not you. I just—this is new. I’m not good at new.”

“I never asked you to be perfect.”

“I know.”

She walked up and hugged you.

Soft. Full-body. No hesitation.

It felt like a door.

It felt like home.

You swallowed hard. She pulled back.

You reached up, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

She blinked up at you.

“Text me when you get back?” she asked quietly.

You nodded.

Tried to blink back the sting in your eyes.

She noticed.

Her eyes told you she did.

She opened her mouth to say something like “I get it.” But you didn’t let her.

You turned.

Opened the door.

And left.

You didn’t text her that night.

Didn’t call.

Didn’t breathe properly either.

You sat with your back hunched in the corner of your Airbnb’s small office, every light off except the soft screen glow of your cracked laptop. Cords coiled like veins across the floor. Empty water bottles and a bottle of wine bleeding into your carpet.

You’d ripped open your notebook. Then your voice. Then your knuckles—after slamming them against the desk when the mic interface gave out again.

The old keyboard you’d brought with you? Dead.

Keys bent. Frame cracked.

Still, you pressed its broken spine like it could give you a song.

And maybe it did.

Because eventually, your voice started playing through the monitor.

Bare. Slow. A demo on loop.

Your voice, barely audible, trailing off into nothing:

"You keep the light on, I’ll sleep in the dark… You always said, I was good at falling apart."

7:02 a.m.

The sun had started bleeding into the living room. Pale peach and gray shadows.

Your Airbnb still looked untouched. Like a set you hadn’t decided to act in yet.

No photos hung. No shoes unpacked. No signs of you.

Isabela entered the code.

Her thumb shook as she turned the handle.

She hadn’t slept.

She told herself she wasn’t scared.

She lied.

The moment she stepped inside, her stomach turned.

Nothing moved. No sounds.

It was like walking into the shell of someone who hadn’t lived here at all.

She called your name once. Twice.

No answer.

Her boots padded across the wooden floor as she weaved through the space in a quiet rush.

Kitchen? Empty.

Bedroom? Unmade. But barely touched.

Then she heard it.

The faint hum of your voice, like something from a dream.

She followed it.

Found you slumped sideways on the couch in the office. One hand near the keyboard. Your lips slightly parted. Barely breathing.

Laptop open.

Audio loop playing.

Papers and pages scattered like feathers in a storm.

The board you brought with you was cracked near the base.

Her eyes flicked over the room. You. Your shoulders rising and falling like someone who’d been fighting the air itself.

She crouched beside you.

Carefully, she moved the curls from your forehead. They were damp with sweat.

Your brow was furrowed. Your jaw clenched. Even in sleep, you looked… tense. Like you were caught in a dream you didn’t want anyone else to see.

Her fingers traced lightly across your cheek.

And right then—

You stirred.

She backed up and perched at the corner of the couch, her hands folded neatly in her lap as if she hadn’t just been inches from your skin.

You blinked.

Eyes heavy.

Then you saw her.

The moment landed slow, but sharp.

You straightened, suddenly aware.

“Bela—shit—I didn’t—what time is it?” Your voice was raspy, shredded from disuse and maybe the wine.

“Relax,” she said, soft. “It’s okay.”

“No, no, I was supposed to come over—I didn’t—fuck, I—”

She put her hand on yours.

You stopped moving.

She glanced around at the wreckage.

“You working or fighting ghosts in here?”

You forced a laugh. “Little of both.”

Then she noticed the keyboard. Cracked. Bent.

“What happened to that?”

You hesitated. “It dropped.”

She tilted her head. “And hit itself repeatedly?”

You met her eyes.

She let it go.

You stood, stretching, trying to shake off the fog.

“Gimme like two minutes to change.”

She started to nod. But then—she reached out.

Her fingers curled around your wrist. You paused.

She stood. Stepped closer.

Before you could retreat, her other hand settled lightly against your bare stomach.

And everything in the room stopped.

Your breath hitched.

Hers did too.

She looked up, eyes tracing your jaw. Then your mouth. Then back to your eyes.

Neither of you said anything.

Your back hit the wall of the closet softly. Shirt in one hand. Her fingers in the other. She was close.

Too close.

And still—not close enough.

The air was heavy with static.

Her fingers twitched slightly, brushing your skin.

You weren’t breathing. You couldn’t.

Her eyes flicked down again.

Then—

Ring ring.

The phone.

Fucking Vanessa.

You cleared your throat and stepped sideways.

Isabela answered without looking at you, her voice trying to steady itself.

You ducked into the bathroom. Your heart didn’t slow.

Not until you pulled on your jeans. Even then—it didn’t slow much.

When you stepped out, Isabela held the phone out toward you.

“Vanessa wants to talk to you.”

You took it with a sigh.

“So glad you’re alive.” Vanessa said.

“I’m—yeah.”

“We’re talking timing now. Holidays are creeping up, and marketing wants to drop a single in a few weeks. Test the waters before Q4.”

“Okay.”

“I’m sending the address for the mastering studio. Go there by 11.”

“Got it.”

Pause. Then:

“Oh—and happy birthday.”

Click.

You lowered the phone. Looked up.

Isabela’s eyes were already on you.

You kept waiting for her to say it.

But all Isabela said that morning was, “You ready for the studio?”

No “Happy birthday.” No cheeky balloon. Not even a dumb card.

She breezed in wearing her big-lensed sunglasses and a half-tucked graphic tee that said SAD GIRL ERA in purple bubble letters.

You gave her a once-over, trying to read her.

Nothing.

“Got something we’re tracking today?” you asked.

She lit up. “Holiday single. I’ve been sitting on a melody.”

Still no mention.

You nodded. “You bring coffee?”

“Ugh,” she said, slapping her forehead. “No. But I’ll buy you wine later.”

“Red,” you muttered, mostly to cover your smile.

She didn’t look at you, but she smiled too.

___

The studio was already warm when you stepped inside.

It was the kind of session that felt like color.

You weren’t just engineering. You were catching sunlight with your teeth.

The chords were simple. Something you looped from a loose idea she hummed into a voice memo two weeks ago. Jazzy. Bright. The kind of beat that snapped but still let a voice melt across it.

Isabela didn’t need much direction. You barely even touched the reverb.

It was that kind of morning.

You sat in the control room, hands flying between the board and your notepad. A pencil rested behind your ear as you mouthed harmonies, looped bridges, tightened melodies.

“Okay, again, but lift the word ‘me’ like it’s flirting with you,” you called into the mic.

She cackled but obeyed.

When she hit it, you stood and whooped like you just saw fireworks explode.

She clapped in response, laughing as she danced behind the mic.

“Y/n, stop it!”

“You killed that!”

She leaned into the mic like she was teasing fate. “You like when I take your notes?”

“I like when you take my breath,” you muttered.

She froze. “What?”

“…I said I like how you take direction.”

“Right,” she grinned. “Sure.”

A few takes later, you were pacing in a loop behind the console, twirling the pencil between your fingers, moving your hands to the BPM like your body couldn’t help but orchestrate what you heard.

Isabela saw you through the glass.

Watched your lips move.

Then—your voice slipped out, just low enough for the room to catch it.

“I want your hands instead of gloves, It would be lovely to pretend to be in love.”

She stopped breathing for a second.

Because you hadn’t written that line before.

Not in the lyrics. Not in the shared doc.

That was yours.

And it was for her. She knew it.

You didn’t even realize she heard it.

When the song was done, it felt like magic still hung in the vents.

You both stood there, dazed and glowing.

The board was blinking with heat and effort.

Your eyes met hers.

And she looked… off.

Not sad. Not quiet. Just full of something.

Something she wasn’t ready to spill yet.

You tilted your head. “You okay?”

She blinked. “Yeah. I just—” she grinned. “Actually, I got an idea. Cake. Cheap wine. Your place.”

“…My place?”

“Yeah.”

You raised a brow. “For what?”

She smiled. “Let’s just say I owe you for this track.”

You narrowed your eyes. “This better not be an intervention.”

She laughed and looped her arm through yours. “Come on, Scrooge. It’s Cuffing Season. Let me be festive.”

___

You were expecting awkward small talk and a glass of Cabernet.

What you got… was the door opening to laughter, confetti poppers, and a voice yelling:

“Happy mothafuckin’ birthday!”

Your whole body flinched. Then—

Romeo tackled you. “Damn, I thought you were never gonna age.”

Icy threw his arms over your shoulder. “Twenty-three, loser! Let’s goooo!”

Freddy. Victor. Your cousins.

Loud. Wild. Dressed like they thought it was a club.

And then, behind it all—

Isabela.

Standing by the record player. Holding a small cake with a single sunflower candle lit on top.

You blinked hard. Your chest tightened.

She noticed. And without a word—

Her hand found yours. She squeezed once. Steady.

She said your name softly, “when was the last time you had a birthday party?”

You didn’t look at her.

You whispered: “Since my mom passed.”

You felt her grip tighten.

You looked down at her and breathed, “Thank you.”

She smiled. But didn’t speak.

Just let the moment hold.

Her friends introduced themselves politely.

You returned every greeting with nods and smirks—but your hand stayed low.

Resting on the small of Isabela’s back.

She didn’t pull away. She leaned into it.

You didn’t talk about it. You didn’t need to.

Then the music started.

Loud. Drunk. Messy.

Romeo took a shot and said, “You know what this calls for?”

“No,” you said, backing away.

“Yes,” Icy said, pushing you forward.

Victor: “Pool time!”

You: “I am not changing—”

Freddy scooped you up in a fireman’s carry before you could finish.

You shouted as they barreled you outside.

“Save me!” you yelled.

Isabela just giggled.

Victor, the rare responsible one, handed her your wallet, keys, and phone. “You might wanna hold these. They’re about to baptize your girl.”

Then—splash.

You hit the pool. Everyone screamed. Drinks spilled.

Your cousins cannonballed in. Icy launched off a deck chair. Romeo did a backflip and hit his head on the floatie.

It was chaos.

And through it all, Isabela stood poolside, barefoot now, holding your stuff and laughing like a kid watching a sitcom.

You climbed out, soaked and shining.

She shook her head, amused.

You walked over slowly, dripping wet.

She backed up. “Don’t you dare.”

You stepped closer.

“I will scream.”

You stepped even closer.

And then, with one sly grin and a low “Sorry”—you pulled her in.

The splash echoed like applause.

When she surfaced, she gasped. Then laughed.

Then wrapped her arms around your neck, just for balance.

And you both froze.Because that was the moment.

That almost moment.

Where your lips were close. Where her hands were on you.

Where your eyes flickered. But you didn’t do it.

Not yet.

___

Much later, the house was quiet.

Bodies passed out in the living room.

A few of Isabela’s friends crashed on air mattresses. Your cousins? Probably sleeping in the backyard hammock like idiots.

You were in the music room. Dry clothes. Fresh hoodie.

She walked in—wearing a shirt that was clearly yours.

One you didn’t remember giving her. But also didn’t mind.

“Stealing my wardrobe now?” you asked softly.

“I like how you smell.”

You swallowed. Hard.

She curled up on the carpet. You stayed near the desk.

“I wanted to say,” you murmured, “your vocals today… that song. Cuffing Season—you really killed it.”

She smiled. “Only because you were there.”

“No. Even without me? It would’ve been art. But I’m glad I got to be part of it.”

She didn’t speak. Not right away.

Then—she stood. Crossed the room.

Pressed a kiss to your cheek.

Your breath caught. You turned your head slightly.

She froze. Face inches from yours.

“I didn’t mean—” she whispered.

You grabbed her face gently.

“I know,” you whispered. “Stay.”

She did.

___

The smell of smoke and sun-drenched laughter hung in the air.

Your crew and Isabela’s had blended together like it was always meant to be.

Romeo manned the grill like it was his life's purpose. Icy was harmonizing to some random playlist with one of Isabela’s backup singers. Freddy and Victor were doing cannonballs in the pool, naturally.

And Isabela?

She was next to you. Always.

Her thigh brushed yours under the picnic table. Every few minutes, your fingers touched—too long to be accidental, too quiet to be bold. When she laughed at something you whispered, her hand would linger on your arm.

You were calm.

For once.

You let yourself believe it was safe.

That everything, for this small moment, was soft.

“I still can’t believe you’re the reason Maren Morris got her Grammy,” one of Isabela’s producers said, tilting their soda at you.

You chuckled, rubbing the back of your neck. “Let’s just say she liked the bridge I ghostwrote.”

“She didn’t like it,” Isabela corrected. “She owed it to you.”

You shrugged.

No alias. No secrets.

For once, you weren’t “Hiraeth.”

You were just you.

Until he showed up.

The gate rattled once. Then opened.

Everyone turned. And there he was.

Young.

Drunk.

Hair a mess. Button-down halfway open. Smile crooked, not in the charming way.

You stood slowly, instinct already prickling. He swayed as he stepped into the yard.

“Some party,” he slurred. “Heard the mystery girl turned twenty-three.”

Freddy stepped toward him. “You weren’t invited.”

Young lifted his hand. “Relax. I just came to say something.”

You were already tense.

Isabela stood beside you. “Young—go home.”

He laughed. “No no no. They all deserve to know who their little favorite ghost really is.”

Your jaw tightened.

“You know,” he said, turning to the group, “she used to go by Hiraeth. Yeah, that Hiraeth.”

Murmurs.

People shifted. Eyes darted.

Young grinned wider. “The genius. The prodigy. Disappeared after her mom died. Rumor was she cracked. Lost it. Institution. Pills. Poof.”

His eyes found yours. “Guess the rumors were true.”

And that’s when something snapped.

You blacked out.

But you saw everything. Felt your feet leave the ground.

Felt the sound of blood in your ears, so loud it drowned out everything but the beat of your own fury.

He stood six feet tall. But he looked small now.

You were five-nine and burning. You didn’t even remember grabbing him.

You just saw the panic in his eyes.

Then your fist. Once. Twice.

The shouting blurred. Hands were on your arms. Your waist.

Isabela’s voice broke through—screaming.

Not at him. At you.

“Y/n! Stop!”

“Y/n! Please—”

Romeo’s voice. Freddy’s weight pulling you back.

Then you hit the ground. On your ass.

Breathing like a dying engine.

You blinked once. Twice. And saw him.

Young.

Blood at the corner of his lip. Face already swelling.

Someone had called for a car.

Freddy muttered, “I’ve seen worse. Remember the Tampa show? That guy didn’t walk for a week.”

“Not now,” Romeo hissed. But it was too late.

The words echoed. Worse. Worse was back.

The air went thin. Too many faces. Too many memories.

The panic crept in like smoke under the door.

And then—

You couldn’t breathe. You were shaking. You were small.

You were back there.

The hospital. The cuffs.

The silence in your mother’s room. The sirens in your own mind.

Then—

Hands. Small. Warm. On your face.

Fingertips at your cheeks. Thumbs pressing lightly under your jaw.

Her.

Isabela.

Her voice was there. Muffled. Then clearer.

“hey. Look at me. Y/n. Please.”

You blinked. Your vision focused.

And there she was.

Hair a mess from the wind. Eyes red. Mouth trembling.

Holding you like you were glass.

You saw her. Really saw her.

And that made it worse. You shook your head.

Tried to speak. Couldn’t.

Tears welled. You didn’t blink them away.

“I didn’t want you to see this,” you croaked. “Not you.”

You hated yourself for how raw it sounded. But you meant it.

The voices were crawling back in. The ones that said you ruin things.

That love was always the rope you’d eventually hang from.

And as she leaned in to wrap her arms around you—

You pulled away. Slipped out of her grip.

Everyone called after you.

Victor.

Icy.

Freddy.

But Isabela… she saw it.

That look.

The look she feared.

The one you wore the night you first met her. The one hidden under all your strength. The one that screamed—

I’m not safe.

And then—

You ran.

___________________________

A/N: This is actually a short book :) But strap in not on mfssss (I swear im funny.)

[jedi-luca]

Head Over Feet: Chapter Seven This Kiss

Summary: You didn’t know Dina before she came back to Jackson. She’s guarded, jaded, and carrying the weight of too many goodbyes. Now you can’t stop thinking about her. It’s a slow burn, and you’re patient… but will she ever let down her walls? Or will someone else reach your heart first?

Pairings: Dina x GN!Reader slowburn

warnings: spoilers if you haven’t played the game or seen the show. Slowburn 🔥❤️‍🔥

Previous Chapter

The sun had warmed the valley by late morning, burning off the last of the mist. Jackson came alive in these hours dogs barking, kids chasing each other between greenhouses, laundry lines swaying with wind-dried shirts.

You sat cross-legged in the grass outside the house, showing Charlie how to braid a daisy chain. Lili sat nearby, watching the two of you with a soft smile, while Mr. and Mrs. Cooper unpacked a modest lunch on the porch steps.

Charlie’s brow furrowed in concentration. “It keeps falling apart.”

You gently repositioned her hands. “You’re pulling too tight. Gotta be patient with it.”

Lili leaned over, offering a fresh daisy. “Try this one, bug. It’s got a long stem.”

Charlie looked up at her, grinning. “You’re good at this.”

“She’s always been good with messy things,” you said, glancing at Lili. “Art projects. Broken toys. Me.”

Lili met your eyes and held them for a second longer than necessary. “You weren’t broken.”

You gave her a little smile, quiet but warm.

Mrs. Cooper handed over a Tupperware full of peeled apples and peanut butter. “You still hate crusts, Y/N?”

Charlie gasped. “You hate crusts?”

“I don’t hate them,” you said, mock-offended. “I just respect the rest of the sandwich more.”

Mr. Cooper chuckled. “Some things never change.”

Lili added, “They used to hand me their crusts at lunch like I was a human trash can.”

Charlie wrinkled her nose. “That’s gross.”

“Character-building,” you teased.

For a while, it was just simple: apples passed between fingers, sun on your face, Charlie showing off her daisy bracelet to anyone who would look.

Then Lili asked, softly, “Do you ever think about your parents here?”

You looked down at your lap, fingers stilling.

“I do,” you said. “They would’ve liked this place. My mom loved birds; she’d have planted something for every kind. And my dad would’ve fixed every busted window in Jackson, probably would have been head of patrol.”

Lili was quiet.

You didn’t mind.

You kept your voice soft. “They tried so hard to prepare us. Our cabin was full of backup plans. But they never expected me to have to carry everything alone.”

Charlie crawled into your lap with a piece of bread in her hand. You kissed the top of her head and held her a little tighter.

“Your parents and brother would have been very proud of everything you’ve done here. They were good people.” Mr. Cooper says gently squeezing your shoulder.

You looked up. And Lili was watching you not with pity, but with that same grounded awe she’d had as a kid, like somehow you always made her believe in things again.

Mrs. Cooper smiled from the steps. “You’ve built something beautiful here and you’re raising a beautiful little girl.”

Charlie beamed. “I have two houses now!”

You laughed. “That’s right. And too many people sneaking you snacks.”

Charlie blinked up at Lili, then at her parents, a soft furrow between her brows.

“Did you know my mommy and daddy?” she asked.

Lili’s smile flickered, caught off guard. “Yeah, sweetheart. I knew them.”

She looked at Mr. and Mrs. Cooper for help.

“I remember your daddy when he was your age,” Mrs. Cooper said kindly. “He was always chasing your mommy around, always with dirt on his face.”

Charlie smiled a little. “My mommy?”

“Hmhm she lived next door to your daddy that’s how they fell in love.” Mrs. Cooper smiled lovingly

“She had the sweetest voice,” Lili added.

Charlie nodded solemnly, like she was trying to hold those details tight in her mind. “I think I remember her hair. It was soft like mine.”

You swallowed, something catching in your chest.

“And what about Y/N’s mommy and daddy?” she asked. “My grandma and grandpa?”

The Coopers exchanged a glance.

“They were good people.” Mr. Cooper said softly. “But I remember her mom made the Spaghetti I’ve ever had. And her dad?” He chuckled. “Your grandpa could scare off a mountain lion just by looking at it.”

Charlie’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

“Swear it,” he said, hand on his heart.

Charlie looked back at you. “Do you think they all miss me?”

Your breath caught.

You cupped her cheek gently. “They never stop.”

Charlie leaned against you, quiet now, little fingers twisting the hem of your shirt.

Lili reached over and rested her hand lightly on your knee. You didn’t look at her right away, but you didn’t pull away either.

And in the warm quiet, surrounded by a patchwork family stitched back together by time and grief and love, you let yourself wonder…

Maybe this was how healing started.

🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄

Lili wasn’t living with you, but she might as well have been leaving a sweater on your chair, coffee mugs in your sink, little things like spare hair ties and half-used tubes of lip balm on your bathroom counter.

She liked to read next to you while you worked on repairs. She’d sit cross-legged on the couch, flipping through whatever old paperback she’d found in the library, occasionally interrupting to read you a line she liked.

Sometimes you cooked. Sometimes she did.

Once, you caught her slow-dancing alone in your kitchen to a record she found buried in your cabinet. She pulled you in without hesitation. You hadn’t danced like that goofy and loose, laughing into someone’s neck. She couldn’t keep her hands off you and vice versa.

And when she said, “This feels like something real,” you didn’t answer. You just kissed her again, because you felt it too and didn’t trust the way your voice would shake if you tried to say it out loud. You were in so deep you never brought up Canada.

There were still questions you hadn’t asked.

How long would she stay?

Where would she go?

What would happen to this, to you? When her family moves on?

You hadn’t said it, and neither had she.

But it hung there.

Every time her mom talked about their route to Canada. Every time Lili curled closer to you at night looking at you like she wanted to freeze time.

Still, you didn’t press it.

Because it was good. It was better than good. It was the kind of thing you didn’t want to break with heavy conversations or stupid expectations.

You weren’t naïve. You knew this might end.

But it didn’t feel like a fling. Not even close.

You’d loved Lili once, in the way that a teenager does — shy glances, passing notes, that electricity when your hands accidentally touched.

But now?

Now you were starting to fall in love with her as the person she’d become. As the woman who saw your scars and didn’t flinch. Who listened when you couldn’t find words. Who kissed your shoulder when she thought you were still asleep.

It was scarier than you expected.

But also… it made you feel alive again.

🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄

Lili’s fingers traced soft circles on your forearm as the two of you lay on the bed, half-covered in the glow of the window, half-wrapped in the hush of dusk.

You thought back to Cam picking up Charlie earlier.

“I’m betting on you losing it tonight. If I win I don’t have to do laundry for a month.” Can smirked, leaving with Charlie.

“You’re quiet,” she murmured, brushing her thumb along the inside of your wrist.

“I’ve been thinking..”

“About?”

“About you.” you whisper, turning on your side.

“Dangerous,” she teased, and you smiled faintly.

She leaned in, kissing you slowly, like she had all the time in the world. And maybe, in that moment, she did.

“I want you, Lili.” you said, voice barely audible.

Lili stilled, lifting her head to look you in the eye. “Are you sure?”

You nodded, breath catching. “I’ve never done this before, but I'm in love with you.”

She kissed you again, this time with something deeper, reverent, patient, grounding. “I think I’ve loved you since we were kids.” She whispers.

It was perfect to you. It wasn’t choreographed. There were nerves and laughter and quiet moments of hesitation. But none of it mattered. She guided you through it with nothing but love. Because with her, it felt right. Safe.

The sounds of her moans spurred you on and on. You wanted to hear every whimper, every sigh, groan and moan from here on out. Mapping every inch of her body.

After, you lay tangled in the sheets, chest to chest, her fingers combing gently through your hair. You didn’t say anything, didn’t have to. Curled up in your arms like she understood the weight of what had passed between you. Like she wasn’t going anywhere, not tonight.

And for the first time, you felt like you’d stepped into something new. Something whole. Something real.

The morning after, you woke first.

For a long moment, you just stared at the ceiling, listening to the hush of the room. The soft, steady breathing beside you, the rustle of sheets when she shifted, the quiet creak of the house settling.

Lili was still asleep, tangled up in your blankets, half on her stomach with her face turned toward you, blonde hair fanned across your pillow.

You felt weightless and strong all at once.

There wasn’t a single part of you that regretted it.

You didn’t feel different, exactly not the way movies or books made it seem. But you felt anchored. Seen. And when you looked at her again, you felt calm in a way that hadn’t existed in you for years.

You brushed a piece of hair from her cheek. She stirred, eyes fluttering open.

“Hi,” she smiled, voice raspy with sleep.

“Hey.”

A pause.

“Last night wasn’t a dream, was it?”

You shook your head.

She smiled wider. “Good.”

You leaned in and kissed her as she giggled, slow and warm. It felt easy now. Familiar.

Like this was always where you were supposed to be.

She made you breakfast and coffee barefoot in your shirt. You kissed her shoulder just because you could. She smiled without looking up.

You were in love with her.

And it didn’t feel confusing, or unfinished, or like something you were chasing after. It felt like something that had found you. It truly felt like a love story unfolding, and to the town it was.

It started with a kiss.

Not the nervous kind. Not the careful, aching first one by the fire.

But the one a few days later, in the middle of Jackson’s main road, when Lili pulled you toward her and kissed you in front of everyone quick, soft and sure, like she’d never known hesitation. Her fingers curled around yours like she meant to keep them.

And you let her.

You smiled into her mouth.

And the town noticed.

It spread faster than news ever should. Whispers behind tomato crates. Smirks passed between kitchen staff. A few knowing nods from people you barely talked to.

But none of it mattered. Not really.

Because Lili looked at you like she knew your soul. And every time you touched her, the noise faded.

You rode into town with her hands around your waist, her chin resting on your shoulder. You split peaches on your porch, juice sticky on your fingers, her laugh easy and unbothered in your ear.

You’d never had something like this.

Never known what it felt like to be chosen out loud.

She reached for your hand during dinner. Called your name like it was a love song. Rested her forehead against yours at the stables and kissed you like there wasn’t a crowd nearby watching it all unfold.

And Charlie adored her.

She held Lili’s hand like she was made to fit there, all tiny fingers and soft trust. The three of you walking home from the mess hall felt like a picture you never thought would exist for you — warm, full, right.

Lili braided her hair on the porch. Read her stories at night. Kissed her on the forehead like she’d known her forever.

You didn’t want to think too hard about how fast it all came together.

You didn’t want to ruin it by asking how long something this beautiful could really last.

Still, you noticed Dina.

Not at first. Not in those first flushed days, when your world had narrowed to warm hands and sunlit bedsheets and the way Lili whispered your name when she thought you were asleep.

But then… little moments.

You caught her once in the market, standing behind a cart of squash, her eyes on the two of you like she’d forgotten what she came there for.

You passed her by and smiled. Just a small thing — polite. She didn’t smile back.

Another time, at the stables, she walked in mid-laugh, mid-kiss, mid-something private between you and Lili. And you felt it. That flicker. That pause.

She didn’t say anything. Just turned, and left.

It started to happen more.

You’d feel her eyes on you in the mess hall. Out on the field. After patrol. Nothing was said but you could feel her pulling back, pulling in, like she was quietly making herself smaller.

You didn’t know what to do with that.

You had everything now. The love you’d waited for. The sweetness of being wanted back. It felt unfair to mourn someone who’d never really been yours.

But sometimes when Lili was asleep and the fire was low you’d remember the sound of Dina’s voice when she said she wasn’t ready.

And wonder. Could you have felt this way if it was her instead?

🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄

Dina noticed a difference in you Not all at once, but in the way you carried yourself. The quiet peace in your face, the way your eyes didn’t search the crowd anymore.

She felt like she was an audience member watching a storybook romance come to life. The whole town talked about how cute and picture perfect you and Lili were together.

How could they not? You; this perfect dreamboat of a person and Lili a sweet blonde green doe eyed girl that made you lovesick.

Dina saw you walking through Jackson with Lili’s hand in yours. Saw you play with Charlie together, whispering and laughing about something no one else knew.

And it hit her one morning in the market when you passed her and smiled but nothing more.

You had truly moved on. You had given Lili something so sacred and not just your virginity but your heart.

And she hadn’t realized how tightly she’d been holding onto the idea that you wouldn’t.

She thought back to the moment she found out it was the last time she spoke with you.

A few weeks back

It wasn’t supposed to come out like that.

Cam had swung by the stables to grab some supplies. Dina was there, brushing down her horse, sleeves rolled up, brow sweaty from patrol. The two hadn’t talked much lately, not since the last town hall where things got heated over security detail. Still, there was a loose familiarity between them. The kind that lingered even when you weren’t feeling especially friendly.

“Hot out,” Cam offered, grabbing the reins beside her.

Dina nodded. “Yeah.”

They worked in silence for a bit. Just enough for Cam to let her guard down.

“You hear about the infected run near the old tracks?” Cam asked.

Dina shook her head.

“Y/N and Lili handled it. Took down ten, cleared the entire tunnel. No backup.”

Dina paused, just briefly, before continuing her work. “Of course they did.”

Cam side-eyed her. “You okay?”

“I’m fine.”

Cam let out a soft whistle. “You’re never ‘fine’ when you say it like that.”

Dina’s jaw ticked. “Why are you telling me this?”

“No reason,” Cam said with a shrug. Then, too casually: “Just… damn. You’d never know that was their first week together. They work like a team. Maybe it’s all the… practice.”

Dina blinked. “What kind of practice?”

Cam froze. Shit.

“I mean-” she started to walk it back. “Nothing. Just-”

“You mean sex,” Dina said flatly.

Cam winced. “I didn’t say that.”

“But you meant it.”

Cam blew out a breath. “Look, I figured you knew. Y/N told me after it happened. It was… special. Not just sex. Like, real. The kind of first time people hope for.”

Silence.

Dina’s hands stopped moving. Her fingers curled tightly into the reins.

She nodded once. Too slow. Too controlled.

“I see.”

Cam backpedaled hard. “Hey Dina come on. I wasn’t trying to be cruel. You’re the one who told Y/N they deserved a better first time, remember?”

“I still said no,” Dina said, voice sharp now, low and bitter. “Even if I wanted to say yes.”

Cam hesitated. “Then maybe it’s good they’re with someone who wanted to say yes back.”

That was the wrong thing to say. Dina stepped back from the horse, stiff.

“I have to go,” she muttered, grabbing her pack.

“Dina…”

But she was already walking off. She didn’t turn back.

Later that evening you found Dina sitting on the edge of the greenhouse steps, half-shaded, legs stretched long across the stone path. The afternoon rain had passed, leaving the air thick and soft, the smell of wet leaves still clinging to everything.

She didn’t look up when you approached.

“Hey,” you offered gently.

“Hey.”

You sat beside her, keeping a bit of distance. The silence hummed between you. She was peeling a pear with a knife, slow and methodical. She handed you a slice without looking.

“Thanks.”

A bird chirped somewhere overhead. You watched it flit between the branches, trying to read her face from the corner of your eye.

“You okay?” you asked.

She shrugged. “Long patrol. Cam got on my nerves.”

You hesitated. “She say something?”

Dina paused. Her knife slowed for half a second.

“Nothing important.”

You nodded, but you felt the shift. Something had cracked between you, something small but sharp. You didn’t know what she’d heard—but you knew enough to suspect.

She finally glanced at you. Her eyes weren’t angry. Just… tired. Guarded.

“You seem happy,” she said softly.

You blinked. “I… yeah. I guess I am.”

She gave a hollow smile, then looked away again. “That’s good. You deserve that.”

You swallowed. “Dina…”

“Don’t,” she said, too fast. Then quieter, “Don’t say anything kind right now.” Her voice wavered on the edge of crying.

You sat back, hands curled on your thighs. “Okay.”

A moment passed. Then she whispered:

“Did you ever think about what it would’ve been like if she didn’t show up that day? After I poured my heart out?”

You looked at her. Her eyes filled with unshed tears. But her voice trembled like something had broken loose and she didn’t know how to catch it.

“I did,” you said honestly. “Of course I did.”

That made her inhale sharp through her nose.

“I told myself I was protecting you,” she murmured. “But maybe I was just scared.”

You didn’t answer. You didn’t need to.

She looked down at the slice of pear in her hand, untouched. Then she set it aside and stood.

“I should go. I told JJ we’d read before bed.”

You nodded.

“Dina-“

“Goodnight, Y/N.”

She didn’t wait for you to respond.

And this time, you didn’t stop her.

Next Chapter

[thelastofme-l]

Always watching

JESSE TLOU x F!READER

Word count: 4483

Summary: it's hard to stay mad at Jesse especially when things get heated at the town party

Warnings: mentions of drinking/being drunk, unwanted groping, mentions of violence against women (sorta), some curse words?, jealous!jesse, overprotective!jesse, some mentions of kissing but mostly fluff

A/n: Another fanfic with ideas from a couple different request! Thanks soooo much for interacting and requesting! I'm so excited for tonight's episode but also nervous because of what might be coming soon 😬 anyyyyways enjoy and ily <3

You walk pass Jesse as you entered the town party, hearing the band playing an old country song. You see him out of the corner of your eye, but make a point to not make eye contact with him, feeling proud of yourself for staying strong against his charms after five full days; a new personal record.

It all started with an argument over something you did while out on patrol. Long story short, you had went against the nonexistent manual that he and Tommy often referred to. You expected your boyfriend Jesse to let it go, maybe speak to you about it later in the privacy of his bedroom. But your commanding officer Jesse had to hash it out right then and there, in front of the rest of the crew, using you as an example of what not to do.

Needless to say, by the time you and the others were dismissed you were pissed. He knew it, judging by the arms crossed tightly across your chest and the way you chewed at your cheek, avoiding his eyes. But what pissed you off more was when he tried to reach out and touch you after everyone had left; as if he hadn't completely embarrassed you.

You left him standing completely dumbfounded at the stables after returning your horse. Later that same day he had come knocking on your door and you refused to answer.

Over the next days when you saw him in town, you turned the other direction or completely ignored him. It was difficult to say the least, especially when you would catch his sad puppy dog eyes staring at you.

He didn't have to be a rocket scientist to know you were mad. He knew that you had a right to be but he also had a duty to keep people alive outside of the walls of Jackson. That means going over any things that should not have happened out there, for everyone's safety. It also meant inadvertently pissing his girlfriend off.

Which brings you to now as you moved pass him in your pretty sun dress with your hair bouncing. It was the only dress you owned and you often pulled it out for town parties or special occasions; but it still managed to take Jesse's breath away like the first time he had seen it.

You grabbed the hand of a friend you'd made on patrols, dragging her to the bar, giggling the whole way before taking two shots of brown liquor. It burned your throat but after another two shots you were ready to dance with the help of the liquid courage.

You knew he was watching you; you could always tell when you had his attention.

On the other side of the room Jesse couldn't help but smile as he watched you and your friend, both holding the hand of a younger boy, bringing him out of his shell and making him dance. After some time you gave a triumph smile as he gave in grabbing another kids arm, making them dance too.

Jesse admired that you had that kind of infectious energy and personality that lit up any room. It was exactly what these parties needed, allowing everyone to let loose and relax, especially after the hard winter.

He moved to the bar, getting himself a beer and stood next to Ellie who was also sitting on the sidelines, watching Dina dance.

"She's having a good time" Ellie smiled, nodding at you who had now picked up a little girl with pigtails and was spinning her around, dipping her dramatically to the music and earning a toothy grin. "The kids really love her"

"Yeah" Jesse sighed taking a sip from his beer, nodding as he watched you. His heart swelled at the sight of you giggling with the little girl. Especially when the little one was reaching up and playing with your hair, "She's got a way with them"

Ellie clocked his somber expression, bumping her elbow into his side, "What's with you two anyway?"

"It's complicated" Jesse said carefully, pretty sure she had already heard from you. After the 1st day of not talking to Jesse you'd managed to vent to all of your friends.

"Complicated?" Ellie hummed, taking a drink and rolling her eyes up at him, "Or you just fucked up?"

"Fucked up" He responded simply, shifting against the bar as he watched you sit the little girl down and make a beeline for them.

"Hi Ellie" You gushed, drunkenly pulling her in for a hug. You were smiling ear to ear with a glow to your skin from the sweat, "Come dance with me–"

"I don't dance," Ellie smiled, sharing a look with Jesse as you freed her from the hug, "I'm sure Dina will dance with you"

You sigh, rolling your eyes at her before looking around. For the first time in five days you were standing right in front of Jesse, looking up at his brown eyes.

Fuuuuuuck, he looked good.

You look away, down at his hand before snatching the drink from him and gulping the beer down. He watches you, teeth fidgeting with his bottom lip as you hand the now empty cup back to him, "Can we talk?"

The music was loud, but not loud enough to block out the tone of his voice. Sweet and desperate.

You shake your head, picking the hair up and off your neck in an attempt to cool down, catching the way Jesse's eyes linger on the exposed sweaty skin before looks away.

You were glad your hands were occupied, otherwise you would've reached out and grabbed him. The dark shirt was hugging his muscles just right and something about the way he was leaning against the bar was making your mouth go dry. For a half second you thought about letting your anger go, but you had to be strong.

You leaned over to Ellie, thinking you were whispering, but only talking really loud next to her ear, "Can you tell him I'm ignoring him because he's an asshole"

"Sure thing" Ellie chuckled at your behavior as she and Jesse watched you dance away, finding your friend in the crowd again. "She said she's still mad because you're an asshole—"

"Yeah Ellie— thanks I heard" Jesse quipped back sarcastically, staring at the lip stain on the rim of his empty glass before setting it on the counter behind him. "I hate this"

"Well maybe treat her as a girlfriend next time—" Ellie joked, proving you had definitely been talking her ear off on patrol, "–not one your soldiers or whatever"

Back on the dance floor, you'd nearly tripped as you found your friend again, only she was dancing with a guy who you hadn't recognized. Jackson was constantly bringing in new people, refugees seeking shelter. You couldn't recall his name but you knew he had only been in the gates about a week. But you didn't care as you joined them.

From the sidelines Jesse had set his jaw, watching the guy move close to you under the low lights. He prided himself on not being a jealous boyfriend, after all you had always been faithful to him but he couldn't help the bubbling in his chest at the way you laughed with the guy.

Ellie didn't say anything now, she could tell it was bothering him. Instead she ordered Jesse another drink and handed it to him.

He watches the way your dress balloons out at the bottom as you spin around the guys finger, giggling innocently as you nearly fall over. You were definitely drunk, but you were having fun.

As you came back to your footing and the room stopped spinning you found Jesse against the bar. Judging by the look on his face, you had him right where you wanted him.

"I'll be right back" You mumbled to your friend, feeling the guys hand on the small of your back, but choosing to ignore it as you made your way back to Jesse.

This time he was already holding his fresh drink out to you, which you took, ignoring the spark of his fingers against yours as you did, "Having fun?"

"Mhmm" You nodded, bringing the cup to your lips and sipping on it, keeping eye contact with him as you did. "Are you?"

He gave you a tight lipped smile, one that told you everything you needed to know even in your drunken haze.

He leaned down toward you, breath fanning over your ear and his fingertips just barely grazing your elbow, "Why don't you let me walk you home?"

Your head spun, this time from the feeling of him close to you, closer than he'd been in days. Between his voice and touch you nearly forgot what you were mad about in the first place.

When he moved back against the bar you had to shake your head, taking another sip of the drink and collecting the drops from your lips with a slide of your tongue.

"Nope, I'm having fun dancing"

"With that Seth guy" Jesse nodded curtly, looking over your shoulder, seeing Seth's hands sliding down your friends back and resting on her ass.

"So you're watching me," You hum, still staring up at him as he reached out and took the cup back from you, setting it on the bar, "What are you jealous?"

You hadn't realized that his fingertips were still on your elbow, helping keep you steady until you moved closer to him, crossing your arms, challenging him.

"Why would I be jealous?" His eyes seem to darken as they flicker over your features, "You're my girlfriend"

You leaned toward him, teasing him as you poked your fingers into his chest, before rocking back on your heels, "I wouldn't be so sure"

He couldn't even ask what that meant before you were turning around and leaving. You nearly tripped on your own feet headed back to your friend and the guy, who you now knew was Seth.

Jesse hadn't even realized Ellie was still standing beside him until she cleared her throat, "Well that was fuckin' awkward"

Jesse didn't care to respond as he crossed his arms over his broad chest, eyes not leaving your back as you were welcomed back into their little dance circle. Your friend had attempted to whisper something to you, with a strange look in her eyes but you weren't listening.

The only thing you were interested in now was making Jesse jealous.

Jesse watched your friend try one more time to get your attention before walking off, leaving you with Seth. The guy didn't seem to notice or care as he moved to you, hands finding your waist.

"You gonna do something about that?" Ellie asked as Dina came and slid her arm around her girlfriend's waist.

"Not yet" Jesse shifted against the bar, tightening his crossed arms, eyes trained on you, "I trust her"

Dina took a drink of Ellie's beer before leaning into her shoulder and talking loud over the music so he could hear, "You can trust her all you want, but it won't change the fact that she's drunk and he's been handsy with every girl that's danced with him tonight"

The band was playing an upbeat song that you could feel in your chest, the people around you were all having a good time and you could still see Jesse, arms crossed and staring. The night was perfect, and your goal of making him jealous was definitely working.

"Your friend didn't like me very much" Seth had mumbled in your ear before taking your hand and spinning you again. His breath was hot and made you feel exactly opposite of when Jesse had done it only minutes ago.

The lights blurred together and then you were stopped abruptly, stumbling into Seth's chest. You giggled, steadying yourself on his shoulders, before realizing your friend had left.

All the drinks and spinning suddenly hit. Feeling like the world was crashing into your shoulders. Your head hurt and you wanted to go home.

"Thanks for the dance" You offered a polite smile, when the band finished the song. Another one started to play as you moved to walk away, suddenly feeling a grasp on your wrist before being tugged back over.

The sudden force surprised you as you crashed against his chest, where he had moved his hands to your back to keep you tight against him.

"I'm gonna go find my friend" You said, still conjuring a smile, wondering if you were reading the situation wrong in your drunken state.

"Why don't you dance with me a little while longer? I really like this dress" The guy had moved one of his hands to touch the strap of your dress, sliding his finger under it. You recoiled as best you could against him, suddenly feeling your head spin again. "I'm not used to seeing girls all dolled up. You don't see a lot of pretty women out there, it's been months—"

"Look I—I have a boyfriend" Your words were slurring due to your state and nerves settling in. The people around you were too busy dancing to see what was going on. The room was spinning and your breaths were coming out weird, "I'm gonna go find him"

"Come on don't be like that—," One of his hands made its way down towards the bottom of your dress, "You don't have to play hard to get sweetheart, I'm real easy–"

When you felt his hand dip low and grope you, it shocked your senses, sobering you up. Before you could comprehend what was happening, you were pushing him away with as much force as you could muster. It was enough to get out of his grip. You spun around, trying to get away from him when you smacked right into a hard chest.

"You okay?" Jesse had his hands cupping your shoulders, holding you steady. You nodded up at him, tears stinging your eyes before he moved around you.

"Is there a problem pretty lady?" Seth asked after gathering his footing from where you shoved him. "We were just starting to get to know each other, have some fun—"

Ellie and Dina stood on either side of you behind Jesse. You wrapped your arms around your body, now feeling weirdly exposed.

"Don't talk to her" Jesse warned, moving closer. At this point the band had stopped and a crowd of people formed a circle.

"What are you the welcome committee?" The guy asked, shifting his weight looking like he was sizing up Jesse.

"What's your deal man?"

"Oh nothing guy, I was just having a conversation with the pretty lady here and she freaked out" Seth laughed, peering around Jesse's shoulder to catch a glimpse of you again before rolling his eyes, now addressing the people around him, "Didn't know all the ladies in this town were such prudes"

"Fuck you" Dina said, moving pass Jesse to go at the guy. He moved his arm out, holding her back, "You're a pervert"

"There's no such thing in this day and age sweetheart," Seth laughed again only this time it had a sinister tone, "It's the Wild West out there, didn't you hear? Us men can do whatever they want—"

"–You're fucking disgusting" Dina added as Jesse gently pushed her back, away from the guy and to Ellie.

Before Jesse could open his mouth, Seth was talking again, "That's okay baby, you and your little friend in the dress are bitches anyways, if I caught you both out there you wouldn't be so mouthy, give you something to suck o—"

Jesse's fist connected with Seths nose in a powerful blow, cutting him off.

He stumbled back, his hand flying to his face as blood began to pour. His expression one of shock and anger as he lunged forward at Jesse. His eyes were narrowed and determined, but he never stood a chance against Jesse who was well trained in hand to hand combat. Before Seth even attempted to cock his arm back Jesse was sending another blow to his side. This time hard enough that he doubled over on the dance floor.

The crowd was shocked, everyone knew Jesse was a strong guy but he had always been a gentle giant, always opting for the 'let's talk about it' path.

Tommy and Maria suddenly appeared from the crowd, the look of disappointment present on their faces. The party was ruined, but Jesse didn't care, instead he kneeled down next to the Seth on the ground, gathering the blood soaked collar of his shirt and pulling him up. "You just earned yourself a one way ticket out of this town"

"He's dangerous to have around our people, our women—" Jesse let him go, pushing him hard back against the ground before standing and looking to Tommy, "He leaves tonight"

Tommy shifted his weight, looking between the bloody guy on the floor and Jesse, someone he trusted like a son.

"You can't do that" Seth whined, holding his broken nose on the floor.

"We can," Maria answered for Tommy, after seeing your body language and the way Jesse stared at the guy on the ground. It was all they needed to know; that Jesse did what he did in defense of you, "Pack your shit up, you have 15 minutes"

Jesse nodded to Tommy and Maria before turning around toward you. You still had your arms crossed tight around you, looking like you wanted to disappear when he held his hand out to you.

You took it, immediately lacing your fingers with his and allowing him to guide you out of the building.

The summer air was cool now that the sun had set. You didn't say anything for a long time, watching your feet as you walked along the dirt roads out of town and towards the houses. The path was dimly lit, the full moon providing all the light you would need. You could see your house a couple feet away when Jesse spoke.

"Are you okay?"

You nodded, not trusting your voice entirely.

"I'm sorry about the other day," Jesse said, running his thumb over your hand, "I shouldn't have called you out like that in front—"

"It's okay" You interrupted, shaking your head slightly, suddenly feeling silly for causing such a pointless argument, when he stood up for you like that.

"No, it's not. I shouldn't have been so hard on you, especially in front of everyone like that," He brought your intertwined hands up to his mouth before pressing a kiss to your skin, "I was being an asshole"

"No, just forget about it," You sighed, shaking your head slowly to avoid making your head spin again, "It was stupid. I was being stupid"

Jesse opened his mouth to say something but you continued, "I wanted to mess with you; get drunk, make you jealous but I ruined the night and that guy—"

Your voice cracked as drunken tears started to spill from your eyes. Jesse stopped walking, turning and catching your face in his hands, "Hey–hey look at me, you didn't ruin anything"

"The committee spent so much time putting that together and then I go and cause a scene–and ruin it. The band is probably mad at me for interrupting their set and Tommy and Maria—"

Jesse had to smile at your drunken rambling. His hands moving from your face to pull you against his chest and hold you there.

"You didn't do anything wrong. That guy ruined it," Jesse said simply, rubbing the back of your head, fingers playing with your hair, "He should've never of touched you—or any of the women here"

"He was a creep" You said quietly, feeling the ghost of his rough hand grabbing you again, "If you wouldn't have stepped in, I don't know what—"

"Shh," Jesse whispered, letting you go so he could hold your shoulders and look at you better, "I'll always protect you, inside and outside of the gates, okay?"

"Even if we're fighting over something stupid?" You asked with a pout, staring up at him with wet eyes.

"Always," He hummed, pressing a kiss to your forehead, "Besides, that'll give the town something to talk about for the next couple weeks"

You nodded, ghost of a smile on your lips as he grabbed your hand again, guiding you up to your front door. He was right, nothing interesting ever happened in town, so this night would be the star of conversations for the foreseeable future. 

Once in the bedroom, he helped you out of your shoes before lifting the dress up your body and over your head with ease. He had tossed it onto the floor, leaving you standing in your bra and underwear, while he opened one of your drawers to get you a shirt to sleep in. You yawned, shivering slightly as the alcohol still coursed through your body.

He had turned, holding the shirt in his hand and muttering a curse word when his foot rammed into something in the dark. You'd barely acknowledged it because once he was standing back in front of you holding up the shirt, ready to slide it over your head, you leaned and kissed him.

With your lips locked on his, you found the shirt in his hands and threw it behind him. He laughed into the kiss, letting his free hands slide down the skin of your sides. His touch alone was sending you into a spiral despite how tired you were.

"It's time for bed" He mumbled against your lips and you felt like your knees were going to buckle.

"I'm not tired" You giggled, nibbling at his lip.

"I could've sworn I heard you yawning"

"Wasn't me" You lied, moving your arms around his neck and pulling him down toward you.

"Mhmm" He hummed against your lips again. His big, calloused hands found the back of your thighs and squeezed ever so slightly, before scooping you up. Your legs locked around his waist and he smiled against you. You'd both been deprived of each other's touch for the couple days that you were ignoring him.

You felt him walking as you slid your tongue against his lips, begging for him to let you in. You hadn't even realized he was tossing you on the bed until you bounced slightly off the mattress. You whined at the loss of contact immediately. Of course, you stopped when you saw him fidgeting with the button on his jeans and kicking his boots off.

"I've been dreaming of this for five days" You hummed, biting your lip as you watched him slide his jeans off and pull his shirt over his head.

"What stopped you?" He teased, and even though it was dark in the room you could see that dumb little smirk on his lips.

"My dignity," You sighed, tired of waiting for him. You reached out and grabbed at his hand, yanking it toward you. "Five days, new record"

Jesse only chuckled, shaking his head and moving to hover over you on the bed, careful not to put all of his weight on you. You didn't waste time, reattaching your lips and kissing him hard, immediately sliding your tongue back where it had been previously, this time he let you in. His arms held him up on either side of you, trapping you under him as your mouths moved in sync, tongues tangling together. You moaned against his lips frustrated that he was holding back and not touching you.

You bucked your hips up toward him, barely grazing his boxers as you moved to shimmy your underwear down, but he stopped you, finally touching you, but not in the way that you were craving. Instead, he moved your hand up and away from your underwear. When you whined he smirked against you, suddenly rolling and dropping down on the bed beside you.

In one motion he had pulled the blankets up and over both of you, as he settled into the pillows.

"What're you doing?" You huffed, as he got comfortable beside you.

"Going to sleep" He said softly, moving closer to you and draping his arm over your stomach as you lay on your back.

"You're joking right?" You asked, staring at the ceiling, feeling your excitement for him gathering between your legs.

He leaned up on his elbow, finding your lips in the dark and kissing you again, soft and slow, enough to make you squeeze your thighs together, "You're drunk and tired"

"You're so annoying," You let out an involuntary yawn, rolling your eyes at him, "No makeup sex? That's the best part of being mad at you"

He hummed, kissing you once more before nuzzling his face into your neck and kissing the skin there, "How about make up morning sex?"

You huffed, feeling your eyes lids grow heavier, "Fine"

"Looking forward to it" He smiled, moving back to his pillow as you curled into his side, feeling the warmth of his bare chest under your cheek.

10 minutes had passed and as tired as you were you couldn't shut your brain off. You tried to focus on Jesse's breathing, nice and even as he dozed off.

"Jesse," You whispered, finger tracing his chest lightly. He hummed quietly, shifting under you, "You know I was only dancing with that guy to get a rise out of you right?"

"I know" He whispered, his arm tightening around you.

Another minute had passed as you mulled over the thoughts in your head. You pursed your lips, trying to keep yourself together, "Do you think that guy was telling the truth?"

"About what?" Jesse was more awake now, his hand coming up to play with your hair, probably feeling your uneven breathing pattern against his side.

"I dunno," You sniffled, turning your face so your lips were touching his skin, "The way he was talking about being out there, and women—"

"No," Jesse said, stopping you by pressing a kiss to the top of your head, "He's out of town by town, Tommy will make sure of it"

"But he said that thing about if Dina and I were out there that he—"

"That won't happen, I won't let it happen," Jesse stiffened at the thought, before adding, "I'll talk to Tommy, make sure he's aware of what was said, keep a close eye on patrols"

You nodded, moving your leg over his under the blankets, eyes closing finally at his words. Your arm slithered around his stomach.

You felt at ease with the simple reassurance Jesse was able to provide.

"And for the record, you don't have to make me jealous," He yawned, breathing evening back out as he fell asleep, "You got me, anyway you want me"

[fandomnerd9602]

Dina: riding lessons, really?

Y/N looks down at Dina from their horse…

Y/N: we’re gonna be on patrol so we gotta know how to ride at all times

Dina: I’d rather ride you

Y/N: what?

Dina: what?